Pork broth, also called pork stock, is a common bone broth in many parts of the world. For example, in many countries throughout Asia, pork broth is used as a base in countless varieties of noodle soups, congees, curries, and stews. But here in America, you don’t see it as often. In fact, as far as I know, I’ve never seen a store-bought pork broth or pork stock product.
I find that a little odd as there are just as many uses for pork broth as there are for chicken and beef broth. Furthermore, with the increased interest in making REAL homemade bone broths, I’ve noticed the price of bones rising in recent years.
The beef bones in my local health food store are no longer the steal they were a few years ago. And of course, pastured chicken isn’t cheap either. And that’s just one of several reasons you should consider making pork broth!
5 Reasons to Make Pork Broth
1. Pork broth is the cheapest broth to make at home
Hardly anyone makes pork broth/pork stock anymore! For that reason, pork bones are often considerably cheaper than other types of bones (with the exception of fish bones). In fact, it can be difficult to even find pork bones for sale in supermarkets.They’re rarely on display.However, if you ask your local butcher they’ll probably be happy to give you some at a very reasonable price.
2. Pork broth has a similar flavor to chicken broth
Broth purists and trained chefs will surely disagree with that statement.But I’m neither and most people I know aren’t either. In my experience, they’re not that different AND they’re totally interchangeable.If I’m making a recipe that calls for chicken broth but all I have is pork stock, I’ll use it instead and vice versa.
3. You can make a super gelatinous broth if you use pig feet
So many people tell me they struggle to make a gelatinous broth from chicken.There can be several reasons for this.One of the more common ones is that if they’re just using bones, there may be very little collagen attached to those bones.Well, there’s tons of collagen in pigs’ feet. Like so…
I picked those feet up from my local butcher for just a few bucks each.Look at all the collagen in there!
Collagen is the strong but pliable connective tissue that keeps animals (including us) glued together such as tendons, ligaments, cartilage, joints, and skin.And when you simmer all that in a broth, it breaks down into gelatin.
That’s why we want to use not just bones but other collagen-rich animal parts in a good homemade bone broth.The more gelatin, the more nutrients.
It’s why historically, cultures used all parts of animals (heads, tails, backs, necks, feet, etc.), not just bones when making broths
Store-bought broths will NEVER contain gelatin.
4. Pork broth is easy to make
If you’ve made chicken broth, well, you know how to make pork broth.The process is just about the same.
How to Make Pork Broth
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 pounds pork bones
- Vegetables, coarsely chopped – 2 to 3 carrots, 2 to 3 stalks celery, 1 medium to large onion
- Filtered water to cover pork bones – about 4 quarts
Directions
To make about 4 quarts of pork broth, get about 4 to 5 pounds of pork bones from your local butcher or even better, your local farmer.A variety of different types of bones are good – leg, neck, hip, and rib bones.Like so…
Roast the bones at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes.Like so…
Roasting will develop more flavor.You can always skip this step if you’re short on time.
If you have a dog, give them a few RAW pork bones first.Otherwise, they’ll be begging you for the roasted ones (which dogs shouldn’t have), like so…
Needless to say, Lipton was not happy when I told her that I forgot to save a few raw pork bones for her (but I made it up to her by making some homemade dog treats from the scraps of the broth).
Next, place the bones in a 12-quart stockpot (or larger), add in the vegetables, cover the bones with water, and bring it to a boil.
Skim any scum that forms on the surface and then reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer for 4 to 6 hours.
Strain the broth and transfer it to storage containers.
That’s it! See the recipe card below for a few more details.
5. You can make so many fantastic pork soups!
As mentioned above, almost any recipe that uses chicken broth can use pork broth as a substitute. But I love using pork broth in Asian soup recipes. My cookbook, The Thai Soup Secret, contains dozens of recipes that use pork stock, including one of my favorites for a Thai pork noodle soup.
Transform Your Health with Thailand’s #1 Superfood!
Includes 40 restorative recipes for broths, congees, and soups. All gluten and dairy-free!
TAKE A LOOK INSIDE!
Recipes That Use Pork Broth
- Simple Pork Meatball Soup
- Thai Congee
- Thai Pork Ribs Hot and Soup
- Thai Vegetable Soup
- Taiwanese Pork Noodle Soup
More Broth and Stock Recipes to Try
- Meat Stock (including Chicken Stock and Beef Stock)
- Fish Broth
- Seafood Broth (The Best Store-Bought Products)
- Clam Juice (Clam Broth)
- Lobster Broth
- Crab Stock
- Dashi Broth
- Thai Bone Broth
Pork Broth Printable Recipe
Pork Broth
Pork broth follows the same formula as chicken broth. Simply simmer some pork bones, onions, celery, and carrots in water for at least 4 hours.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
CourseBroth
CuisineAmerican
Prep Time45 minutes minutes
Cook Time4 hours hours
Servings4 quarts
Calories30kcal
AuthorCraig Fear
Cost$25
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 pounds pork bones variety of leg, neck, hip, and rib bones
- 2 to 3 carrots coarsely chopped
- 2 to 3 stalks celery coarsely chopped
- 1 large onion coarsely chopped
- 4 quarts water filtered
Instructions
Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Spread the bones on several baking sheets. Roast for about 45 minutes, until the bones become nice and browned but not blackened.
Place the bones in at least a 12-quart stockpot. Add the vegetables. Add the water and make sure everything is completely submerged in the water. Make sure not to overfill the pot. Turn the heat to high.
Before it boils, skim any scum that rises to the surface.
Once it boils, turn the heat down to around medium-low, cover the pot, and boil gently for at least 4 hours and up to 6 hours.
Taste it every so often. It should have a pronounced pork flavor. If it tastes too diluted after 4 to 5 hours, take the cover off, raise the heat, and boil gently to evaporate some of the water. This should condense the flavor.
Turn the heat off and let cool for a little while. Remove as many bones and parts as possible with a slotted spoon or a wire strainer with a long handle. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer or a colander lined with cheesecloth.
Store in the fridge for up to 7 days. Freeze whatever you won’t use within a week. When freezing in jars, make sure to leave 1 inch of space from the top of the jar to the top of the stock. This prevents the jars from cracking and breaking as liquids expand when frozen.
Nutrition
Serving: 1quart | Calories: 30kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 204mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5186IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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