What can you do with meat left over from making broth, so nothing goes to waste? For experienced home cooks, this kind of dilemma doesn’t cause stress or a frantic search for recipes. On the contrary, it’s a question that unlocks a treasure trove of culinary inspiration – all it takes is a moment of comfort, a visit to the corners of memory, and a spark of creativity to whip up something your household will love. We’re not exaggerating – the potential of leftover meat from broth is enormous, and your loved ones are sure to agree once they try your delicious dumplings or crepes filled with a rich, savory stuffing made from it.
But using broth meat for fillings is just the beginning. A delicate pâté, cold meat in aspic, sliced meat with mashed potatoes, or even… a baked casserole! A true Kitchen Master already gets excited at the thought of the meals that can be conjured from a broth made with fresh, high-quality meat.
Wondering what to do with beef left over from broth, and how to make the most of it? In this practical guide, we’ve gathered plenty of creative ideas that will not only delight the taste buds and stomachs of your family but also be gentle on your wallet!
How to make perfect broth?
As in life, the saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day” applies in the kitchen too. So before we get to what you can do with the meat from broth, let’s first consider how to prepare this exceptional soup. Broth holds an undisputed place in Polish households – it’s more than just the first course of a Sunday dinner. A mother’s or grandmother’s broth stays with us for years, returning in fond memories filled with a sense of carefree comfort and family warmth. So how do you make this soup so that even the pickiest home cook will nod in approval?
In IT slang, there's a phrase “garbage IN – garbage OUT,” meaning if you put in trash, you'll get trash. The same rule applies in the kitchen. You can’t expect exceptional broth from a few bouillon cubes, low-quality supermarket meat, and a poor handful of vegetables.
So what ingredients should you use?
The absolute foundation is high-quality meat from a trusted source. It's said that good broth requires at least three kinds of meat, but from our experience, an amazing culinary effect can be achieved another way. How? The key is carefully selected fresh beef! As the saying goes – “from shank comes strong broth!” – so this beef cut should be in your pot. It alone is enough to create a flavor-packed broth, but for extra depth, consider adding beef brisket and flank. What proportions of these cuts are just right? The ones in our beef broth set! It’s four kilograms of exquisite meat – the perfect base for a soup that will wow your family’s taste buds.
High-quality beef should be paired in your pot with fresh vegetables and a carefully selected blend of spices – you must include allspice, peppercorns, and bay leaves. If you want your broth to impress not only with flavor but also aroma, use young root vegetables rich in parsley tops. The true hero here – although not often in the spotlight – is the incredibly fragrant celery leaves, not the familiar and loved parsley. And don’t forget to add lovage – especially if you’d like the saying “the way to the heart is through the stomach” to come true...
What else should you keep in mind when planning your broth?
- First, the pot into which you place the washed meat, vegetables, and spices should contain cold water.
- Experienced home cooks have various kitchen “tricks” – one of them is to add a fire-charred onion at the beginning of cooking. If you have an induction stove, you can achieve this by charring halved onions in a pan.
- To make ladling the broth easier later, tie the rinsed vegetables together with kitchen twine – removing them will be a breeze.
- Don’t salt the contents right away – wait until later in the cooking process.
- You can start cooking the broth on high heat until scum appears. Once removed, reduce to a gentle simmer and let it cook for several hours.
Your golden masterpiece is cooking? Then let’s use this time to think about what to do with the meat from the broth!
What to do with meat from broth? The answer: enjoy it!
Theoretically, this idea is nothing surprising, yet we’re amazed that in some households, eating broth meat directly isn’t as popular as it deserves to be. Let us share a secret – in our homes, beef shank often doesn’t last long enough to be reused, because... it mysteriously “disappears” from the pot! Boiled beef lovers enjoy it in many ways – from simply eating it drenched in broth, to serving it on a plate with bread and mustard, to plating it as sliced meat alongside mashed potatoes. There are as many options as there are fans of slowly nibbling on this flavorful, tender, easily shredded meat.
How to use meat from broth? Make a fantastic filling for dumplings, croquettes, or crepes
Let’s start with a classic in every economical kitchen – turning broth beef into various fillings. Well-ground cooked beef combined with the right extras makes an excellent filling for dumplings, croquettes, crepes, or savory pastries. Depending on the dish, the filling can be enriched – for instance, for dumplings, adding sautéed onion (fried in clarified butter) to the beef before grinding is a perfect touch.
And what if you’re not in the mood for a dish using boiled beef right now? We’ve got a tried-and-true grandma’s tip! Make the filling and freeze it. After making a few broths, you’ll have a decent supply of filling, allowing you to prepare enough dumplings or croquettes for the whole family to grab seconds. And trust us – dishes made with our beef are so good that they awaken a “second stomach” just for delicious seconds.
What can you make from broth meat? A review of lunch-time favorites
When asked how to use broth meat, we say: how *can’t* you use it? The range of possibilities is vast – just ask any seasoned home cook. If you’re looking for inspiration for a tasty second course using leftover broth meat, try:
- meatballs and cutlets made from broth meat,
- pâté from broth meat,
- a spread made from broth meat.
Interestingly, the options aren’t limited to lunch – the pâté can also make a great sandwich topping instead of cold cuts.
What to do with boiled meat from broth? Make a jelly perfect for appetizers or dinner
A creative idea for using broth meat is to serve it as jelly – a true classic of family gatherings. It allows you to use both the beef and the leftover broth – assuming, of course, you’re not making tomato soup with it! Preparing this jelly is wonderfully simple. Start by shredding the meat into small pieces and placing it in bowls. Then heat the broth, add your spices, and chopped garlic for a kick. Warm the broth without boiling, add gelatin according to the package instructions, and stir until it dissolves. Then strain the broth into the bowls with meat. Chill until set and… done. This dish made from broth meat will be a hit not only during lunch but also for those late-night snack cravings.
Casserole with broth meat – how to please beef and cheese lovers alike
If your home is full of meat and cheese lovers, we’ve got a foolproof treat that’ll bring them straight to the dinner table. A casserole with broth meat is a unique way to turn a few simple ingredients into a delicious dish. All you need is your favorite cheese, broth beef, eggs, pasta, cream, and seasonings – all combined in a casserole dish and baked. That’s all it takes before you’re greeted with the joyful sight of your family happily digging into the dish with gusto!
Summary
There’s no doubt that broth is held in high regard in Poland as a go-to first course. However, many don’t realize how many delicious main courses can be made from the beef cooked in it. We hope our practical tips inspire you to make even better use of broth meat in the future. Though, we must admit, our beef broth set is so delicious once cooked that your family might devour it straight from the pot before you even get to the meat grinder.
Besides the broth set, our offer includes many other high-quality meat products from the renowned Polish producer CHOBOT MEAT Jan Ludwiniak. Our three unique dry-aged steak lines: Standard, Premium, and Extra Marble are especially popular. These lines feature steaks such as:
We encourage you to explore our full range of meats and place your order!
