French Onion Style Beef Soup
I’m a huge fan of decreasing food waste and maximizing the utility of what we buy. It’s better for our bottom line and its better for the planet. When food ends up in the landfill amidst all the garbage it doesn’t compost like it might otherwise; it is said that around 40 % of what we buy ends up in the landfill as waste.
Wasting food makes me sad, so I’ve come up with a few creative ways to combat it in my own home beyond just composting everything that creeps past its prime when our lives get busy.
Ingredients
2-3 sliced beef shanks (meat on) about 1.5 lbs
1 tsp Sea Salt
Contents of your broth bag
enough water to cover (6-8 cups, ideally)
2 Tbsp fat, (Butter, tallow, olive oil, lard)
6 Medium onions, very thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Sea Salt, 1/4 tsp Black Pepper *AIP reintro
3-4 Bay Leaves
6 Sprigs Thyme
1/2 cup dark ale- I like a dubbel or something similar (or broth)
6 thick slices sourdough
1/3 cup grainy mustard *AIP reintro
1.5 cups shredded gruyere, swiss or other semi-funky cheese that melts well
Equipment
Large heavy bottomed pot with a lid, or dutch oven
Strainer
Large Mixing bowl
Sheet Pan
Broiler safe Bowls
Method
Season beef shanks with sea salt. Place in the bottom of a large pot or dutch oven with a tiny bit of fat spread around. Turn the heat to medium low until the fat from the beef begins to render. Let the shanks continue cooking until a golden brown crust has been achieved, then turn and repeat for the other side. The meat should release from the pan when it is ready to flip. Let cook another 5-8 minutes longer until the other side has formed a nice crust.
Add the contents of your broth bag, or your fridge clean out- Sad celery, old herbs, dried out mushrooms, onion tops and skins, carrot peels and tops. Add water to cover the contents of the pot.
Cook covered over medium heat for 3-4 hours, you want the beef to be tender, but not completely falling apart, yet. Turn off the heat and strain into a large stockpot or bowl. Separate meat from bones and cartilaginous bits, set it aside. Discard the aromatics, return the bones to your broth bag, theres still a lot more goodness left in them.
Return your stockpot to the stove over medium-low heat. Melt a bit of fat in the bottom, add onions and garlic, stirring to break up clumps of onions. Let it cook, stirring occasionally until the onions start to release their juices and become very soft and translucent or even milky. Then season with salt and pepper.
Once the onions have reduced significantly and begun to brown, even leaving a crust at the bottom of the pot, reduce the heat to low and deglaze with beer or stock. The flavorful bits should easily come off the bottom of the pan, keep stirring until most have released and coated the onions.
Add Thyme and Bay leaves and reserved stock. Cover and return to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. The onions will break down a bit further and all the flavors will marry nicely.
Stir in reserved beef breaking it up with your spoon if necessary, heat through. Check seasonings.
Spread a light layer of mustard on top of sourdough slices, then cover with shredded gruyere. Place Bread atop oven safe soup bowls on a sheet tray, or cook the toasts separately. Broil until the cheese is melted, browned and bubbly.
Enjoy!
