Bone broth is the MAHA kitchen's foundation stock — 24 hours of simmering beef or chicken bones until the collagen dissolves into gelatin, the marrow renders into the liquid, and the broth sets solid when cold. The problem is the 24 hours. Most home cooks do not maintain a constant low simmer for a full day. The Instant Pot solves this: 3 hours at high pressure achieves the same collagen extraction that 24 hours of stovetop simmering achieves. The resulting broth is gelatinous, deeply flavoured, and finished with a spoonful of tallow stirred in at the end.
Why an Instant Pot Changes MAHA Cooking
Pressure cooking works by raising the boiling point of water from 100°C to 120°C at high pressure. At that temperature, the collagen in connective tissue converts to gelatin in 3 hours rather than 24. The mineral extraction from the bones is also accelerated. The result is chemically identical to the 24-hour stovetop version — which has been confirmed by laboratory analysis comparing pressure-cooked and long-simmered bone broths.
Serves 8 cups · Prep 10 min · Pressure cook 3 hours
Ingredients
- 1.5-2kg beef marrow bones and knuckle bones (ask butcher to cut in half)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 3 celery stalks
- 4 garlic cloves
- Fresh herbs: bay leaf, thyme, parsley stalks
- Cold water to fill to MAX line
- 1 tbsp beef tallow to finish per cup
Method
- Roast bones at 200°C for 25 minutes until brown. This is not optional — it builds flavour.
- Transfer to Instant Pot. Add all vegetables and herbs.
- Add apple cider vinegar. Fill with cold water to the MAX line.
- Seal lid. Set to HIGH pressure for 3 hours.
- Allow natural pressure release for 30 minutes.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Discard solids.
- Cool. The broth should set to a jelly when cold — this means it is rich in collagen.
- Reheat per cup. Stir in 1 tbsp tallow. Season with salt.
The Tallow Finish
Stirring tallow into finished bone broth adds three things: additional fat-soluble nutrients, calories for satiety, and a richness that makes the broth genuinely sustaining rather than merely flavourful. Use 1 tablespoon per cup. This is the MAHA butter coffee equivalent for bone broth — the ancestral fat addition that makes the drink a meal.
Why does my broth not gel?
Either the bones were not collagen-rich enough (use knuckles and feet, not just marrow bones), the pressure cook was not long enough, or too much water diluted the collagen. Try reducing the strained broth by half over the stovetop.
Can I use chicken bones?
Yes — chicken feet are the highest collagen source available and produce a broth that gels almost immediately. Chicken backs and carcasses also work. Reduce pressure time to 2 hours.
How long does bone broth keep?
5 days refrigerated, 6 months frozen. Freeze in ice cube trays for convenient single portions.
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