Basic Beef Stock Recipes

BEEF STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the bones on a roasting pan and roast for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and brush with the tomato paste. Lay the vegetables over the bones. Return to the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Place the pan on the stove and deglaze with the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan for browned particles. Put this mixture in a large stock pot. Add the peppercorns, garlic, and herbs. Season with salt. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 4 hours. Remove from the heat and skim off any fat that has risen to the surface. Strain the liquid and discard the bones.

HOMEMADE BEEF STOCK

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Make a bouquet garni by wrapping parsley, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth. Tie with kitchen twine, and set aside.
• Arrange meat, veal bones, onion, carrots, and celery in an even layer in a heavy roasting pan. Roast, turning every 20 minutes, until the vegetables and the bones are deep brown, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the meat, bones, and vegetables to a large stockpot, and set aside. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan, and discard. Place the pan over high heat on the stove. Add wine, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits; boil until the wine has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Pour all of the liquid into the stockpot.
• Add 6 quarts of cold water to the stockpot, or more if needed to cover bones. Do not add less water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very gentle simmer. Add the reserved bouquet garni. Liquid should just bubble up to surface. Skim the foam from the surface, and discard. Simmer over the lowest possible heat for 3 hours; a skin will form on the surface of the liquid; skim off with a slotted spoon, and discard. Repeat as needed. Add water if at any time the level drops below the bones.
• Fill the sink with ice water. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Discard the solids. Transfer the bowl to an ice bath, and let cool to room temperature.
• Transfer to airtight containers. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Stock may be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 4 months. If storing, leave fat layer intact to seal the stock. Before using, remove the fat that has collected on the surface.

BASIC BEEF STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange ribs in a large roasting pan; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast 1 1/2 hours, turning ribs halfway through.
• Combine 3 quarts water and tomatoes and their juice in a stockpot. Bundle bay leaves, peppercorns, and dill in a small piece of cheesecloth; tie with kitchen twine, and add to pot.
• Transfer roasted ribs to pot. Pour off and discard fat from roasting pan. Pour remaining cup water into pan, and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom, until water is reduced by half. Transfer liquid and bits to stockpot.
• Cover the pot; bring mixture to a simmer over high heat, but do not boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, and place a smaller pot lid directly on surface of stock to keep ingredients submerged; cook until meat is very tender and pulls away from the bone, about 1 1/2 hours. Skim surface with a spoon as needed.
• Prepare an ice bath. Remove herb bundle from pot, squeezing out liquid into pot, and discard. Strain stock through a sieve into a large heatproof bowl set in ice bath until stock is room temperature, stirring frequently.
• Transfer ribs and tomato pieces to another bowl. When cool enough to handle, pull rib meat from bones, and shred with your fingers. Discard bones. Store meat and tomato pieces in an airtight container in the refrigerator, up to 3 days.
• Transfer the cooled stock to airtight containers; refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. With a large metal spoon, skim off and discard fat layer that has collected on the top. If storing, leave fat layer intact (it helps to seal in flavor).

BASIC BEEF STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Arrange the ribs in a large roasting pan; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast 1 1/2 hours, turning the ribs halfway through.
• Combine 3 quarts water and the tomatoes and their juice in a stockpot. Bundle the bay leaves, peppercorns, and dill in a small piece of cheesecloth; tie with kitchen twine, and add to the pot.
• Transfer the roasted ribs to the pot. Pour off and discard the fat from the roasting pan. Pour the remaining cup water into the pan, and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom, until the liquid is reduced by half. Transfer the liquid and bits to the stockpot.
• Cover the pot; bring the mixture to a simmer over high heat, but do not boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, and place a smaller pot lid directly on surface of stock to keep ingredients submerged; cook until the meat is very tender and pulls away from the bone, about 1 1/2 hours. Skim the surface with a spoon as needed.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Remove the herb bundle from the pot, squeezing out the liquid into the pot, and discard. Strain the stock through a sieve into a large heatproof bowl set in the ice-water bath. Stir frequently until the stock is room temperature.
• Transfer the ribs and tomato pieces to another bowl. When cool enough to handle, pull the rib meat from the bones, and shred it with your fingers. Discard the bones. Store the meat and tomato pieces in an airtight container in the refrigerator, up to 3 days.
• Transfer the cooled stock to airtight containers; refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. With a large metal spoon, skim off and discard fat layer that has collected on the top. If storing, leave fat layer intact (it helps seal in flavor).

BASIC BEEF STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Arrange the beef shanks and short ribs in a single layer in an ungreased large shallow roasting pan.
• Roast, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until nicely browned.
• Transfer the shanks and ribs to a stockpot.
• Pour off all the fat from the roasting pan.
• Add 2 cups of the water to the pan and swirl it around, scraping any browned bits of meat or juices.
• Add to the stockpot along with the remaining water.
• Bring the water to a boil, uncovered, over high heat, skimming off any scum.
• Add the onions, carrots, tomato, garlic cloves, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, and salt; partially cover and simmer for 3 hours, occasionally skimming off the scum.
• Remove the short ribs and save to use on another day.
• Continue simmering the stock, partially covered, 1 hour longer.
• Pour all through a large colander or sieve set over a very large heatproof bowl.
• Save the shank meat for soup or another use.
• Discard the other solids.
• Let the stock cool; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• In the morning, discard the fat that has solidified on top.
• Ladle stock into ice cube trays.
• Freeze; place in freezer bags for future use.

SIMPLE BEEF STOCK A LA JULIA CHILD

Steps:

• Place the beef bones in a large heavy pot and cover with cold water by about two inches.
• Bring to a simmer over medium heat and skim the sum which rises to the top--this should take about five minutes.
• Add the remaining ingredients and more cold water so that everything is covered by at least an inch or two.
• Bring the stock to a simmer again, skimming as necessary.
• When the stock is simmering (Do NOT allow it to boil), partially cover and maintain at a very slow simmer for four to five hours.
• If the water level gets too low, add boiling water to the pot.
• Skim as necessary.
• When the vegetables and the bones have given their all to the broth, strain the broth and discard the solids.
• Set the stock, uncovered in the refrigerator until the fat has risen to the top and solidified.
• Remove and discard the fat.
• Taste the degreased stock (remembering it contains no salt) and if it is not strong enough, reduce it over medium heat.
• When the stock is cold, store in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer.

BASIC BEEF STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Trim root end off onion. Slice or quarter the onion, peel and all. Scrub carrots and chop into 1-inch chunks. In a large shallow roasting pan, place soup bones, onion, and carrots. Bake, uncovered, about 30 minutes or until the bones are well browned, turning occasionally.
• Drain off fat. Place the browned bones, onion, and carrots in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Pour 1/2 cup water into the roasting pan and rinse. Pour this liquid into soup pot.
• Scrub the potato and chop it into chunks, peel and all. Chop the celery stalks into thirds. Add celery, tomato, parsnip, potato, peppercorns, parsley (including stems), bay leaf, salt, thyme, and garlic to the pot. Pour in the 12 cups of water.
• Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 hours. Strain stock. Discard meat, vegetables, and seasonings.
• To clarify stock for clear soup: In order to remove solid flecks that are too small to be strained out with cheesecloth, combine 1/4 cup cold water, 1 egg white, and 1 crushed eggshell. Add to strained stock. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Strain again through a sieve lined with cheesecloth.