Beef broth stinks

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

Is this normal? It doesn't stink, I mean, it doesn't smell spoiled, but I am not enjoying the smell of it cooking. It's a mixture of neck bones (some meat on them) and gelatinous bones. If I used meatier bones would it smell better? It's giving me that same queasy feeling I get when I smell liver cooking. I hope it tastes ok

Oh, I can't wait until chickens come back into season

[cristeen]

did you roast the bones first or are you cooking raw bones?

Personally, I really don't care for the smell of most broths cooking - duck being the only one that smells good to me. But, the smell of raw beef bones is worse than cooked beef bones, IMO.

[tanyalynn]

My beef stock has never smelled good either. Quite the bummer since I can get way more beef bones than chicken (and I envy Cristeen her duck bones). I generally have a mix of meaty and non-meaty bones, it doesn't really seem to make a difference (I use whatever I have, sometimes meatier sometimes very little meat). I have to use my beef stock in dishes that have other flavors going on to hide the flavor a bit (it's not _that_ bad, but not great).

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

This is a bummer. I did roast them, not long though, that smell bothered me too.

I just moved it out to the service porch in a crockpot (the little room between our kitchen and back door). I only have a 4qt crockpot though. I might have to look around for a decent priced larger one.

I like the way chicken stock smells actually. I find it comforting, not "good" just comforting.

[bigknitwit]

I've given up making beef broth. It smells terrible while cooking and it tastes terrible to eat it - like hoof or something too bad becauseI have a ton of beef bones in the freezer.

[cristeen]

Actually, it just occurred to me that I did a pot of beef just last week and it didn't have any bad smells at all... and buffalo never stinks for me.

But my pot last week was from the prime rib from Christmas. So the bones were fairly well cooked, and there was also a good deal of garlic and thyme in the pot (the roast was coated in a rub of garlic, thyme and salt). Maybe you should be sure to roast them through, and toss some garlic in the pot? As for the buffalo, I braise the buffalo ribs with beer, then pour the drippings into the stock pot - dunno if it's the beer or if it's how long they're cooked (several hours), but there's no bad smells at all. Maybe that's what I'll start doing with beef bones... braise them for several hours in a bottle of beer before boiling.

Just some random thoughts.

[Peek-a-boo]

Nice to know I'm not alone in finding it stinky.

[Brookesmom]

: I thought I was the only one.

[wifeandmommy2-4]

Originally Posted by kaleidoscopeeyes

Is this normal? It doesn't stink, I mean, it doesn't smell spoiled, but I am not enjoying the smell of it cooking. It's a mixture of neck bones (some meat on them) and gelatinous bones. If I used meatier bones would it smell better? It's giving me that same queasy feeling I get when I smell liver cooking. I hope it tastes ok

Oh, I can't wait until chickens come back into season

The first time I made beef stock it stunk so bad I gave up and dumped it. But this time (I just made two batches) it didn't smell bad at all!
Where I went wrong was the first time I didn't roast the meaty bones long enough and this time I did.

[BetsyPage]

This thread is not encouraging me to try making broth, lol.

[bohemama]

I thought my beef stock smelled yucky too. But, I was prepared because the NT says that it will smell bad. I haven't used any yet because I haven't had anything that calls for it. I'm scared to sub it for chicken stock. I agree that chicken stock smells comforting

[spartz]

I find it's the first 8-12 hours that are the smelliest. The smell doesn't bother me but my husband hates it. My big problem is that the flies absolutely LOVE it. I have swarms of them all around the doors and windows desperate to get in and several inevitably do - horrible big blow flies that then drone around the kitchen throwing themselves against the windows trying to get out again.

I found the trick is to put the stock on at dusk.The flies have gone to bed, I get it boiling then turn it down low and we go to bed too and sleep through the strongest smells. By morning, the stock has settled, the flies aren't interested and DH is off to work.

It's all in the timing.

[PaulaJoAnne]

The process can be smelly, but I add a few herbs and veges and that really makes a big difference.
For some reason, I think its the marrow that smells the most, and yet its the tastiest part
Paula

[Froggie]

Originally Posted by PaulaJoAnne

The process can be smelly, but I add a few herbs and veges and that really makes a big difference.
For some reason, I think its the marrow that smells the most, and yet its the tastiest part
Paula

To be the most versatile, it should be fairly plain I guess but the smell is not nice and the taste is strong too. Soooooo... I put in carrot, onion, garlic, celery, bay leaf, & parsley. It results in a more pleasant belnd that isn't overy seasoned. Then I can add specific herbs later according to the recipe.

Don't give up!

viva la stink!

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

I can cope with the arrangement I have out on the porch, limited exposure. Though, last night I was doing laundry and had to keep passing through to go downstairs I'm going to strain it off now and I think do one more batch, this time with veg and then combine the two.

I'm still a little worried about what I'll think of the taste, but hopefully it will be fine. I was pretty stoked to make some so I could get all that lovely gelatin out of it.

I am relieved to see I'm not the only one who has experienced the stinkiness of beef stock making. I was worried I had done something wrong.

[Metasequoia]

Yea, I've always thought it smelled kind of vomit-y, but I deal & I'm used to it. I do, however, try to plan around visitors because they aren't used to it..

Chicken or turkey stock doesn't smell bad, IMO.

[motherbirth]

Do I do something wrong when I make my beef broth? I like the way it smells when it cooks.

[karliyanchus]

i roast the beef bones first for a couple hrs, and that stinks, but when i simmer them after, i put in onions celery and carrot.

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

Ok, so the 2nd batch is simmering away and totally doesn't stink! It's the same bones though, so I guess it's because they are so cooked now. I also threw in some carrot, onion and garlic (what I had on hand). I think I'm going to mix the two batches and put away half to freeze.

Ah, I've always considered my self a good cook, a well-versed foodie, but man, this TF journey is teaching me some things!

[PlayaMama]

i just finished my first batch!! i'm a vegetarian and i've never done this before and yuck! did it smell.

i put it in the crock pot for 1-1/2 days with carrots, celery and onion. then pushed the marrow out (double yuck for a veg) and simmered it over night, then put it all in the blender, added some stew meat and more veggies and cooked it over for another day and night, and the family loves it!

seriously though, i'm going to stick with chicken or turkey, they smell like thanksgiving rather than puke. heh.

so, glad i saw this thread!!! i thought maybe it was the onion?