How do you make bouillon cubes?

You could apply this technique and make many different flavors. The first time I worked the recipe up I used beef so that is what I cover here. You could use chicken, beef, pork or veggies etc.

For Beef cubes do the following:

1. Slow cook 3lbs of beef short ribs on a smoker using hard wood of your choice for about 2.5 hours. Do not burn it. Keep the meat away from the flame and the temp around 250-300 F.

2. Remove from the smoker and place in a large dutch oven with enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a rapid boil and stir every once in awhile.

3. Continue to boil with a lid on the pot for 2 hours adding water as required.

4. While the meat boils prepare a dry mixture in a large bowl of 5 parts salt, 3 parts onion powder, 2 parts garlic powder and 2 parts cumin. Mix and blend well with a fork. 1 part could be 1 table spoon and would make plenty for a first batch.

5. Remove the meat and bones from the pot and reduce the remaining liquid until there is very little liquid left (maybe 1/4 cup)

6. Add a little of the liquid at a time to the dry mix and stir it in well until it starts to resemble damp but not saturated sand. There should be no standing liquid but very moist. MIX WELL.

7. You will need a mold, I used a 1 inch piece of 1/2 inch inner diameter PEX pipe (sorta like PVC water pipe that I cut with a saw) Using your fingers press the mixture into the mold hard until it is packed tight. Use the small end of a wooden kitchen spoon press the pellet out of the mold and onto the tray of a home food dehydrator. Repeat with all of the mixture being careful not to disturb the shape of the pellet. The mixture should start to become sticky and you should notice some moisture as you press it into the mold.

8. Run the dehydrator on high or about 155 degrees for about 12 to 15 hours. Allow the pellets to cool and bag. For max life you can consider a frig or freezer for storage however for short term storage no refridgeration is required.

1 pellet dissolves in about 8 oz of water and makes a yummy hot broth or base for soup etc.