Homemade Beef Stock Recipes

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.

HOMEMADE BEEF STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. In a roasting pan, combine beef bones, stew meat, carrots, and onion. Drizzle with oil, tossing to evenly coat, and spread in a single layer. Roast, turning everything once halfway through, until meat is browned on all sides, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer bones, meat, and vegetables to a stockpot. Place roasting pan over two burners, add 1/2 cup water, and bring to a boil, scraping browned bits from bottom; transfer mixture to stockpot. Add enough water to pot to cover meat and vegetables by about 2 inches (5 to 6 quarts). Bring to a boil, skimming foam and impurities from surface.
• Add celery stalks and leaves, peppercorns, thyme, and parsley sprigs. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer, uncovered, until mixture is darkened and reduced slightly, and bones have released their marrow, 8 to 12 hours.
• Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve (line it with cheesecloth for clearest possible stock). Let stand until fat rises to surface, then skim it from stock with a spoon. Freeze fat to use in place of oil or schmaltz in savory dishes. Stock can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week, or frozen up to 6 months.

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.

SIMPLE HOMEMADE BEEF STOCK

Steps:

• Heat oil in large pot over high heat. Sprinkle bones with salt and pepper. Add bones and onion to pot. Sauté until bones and onion are deep brown, turning often, about 20 minutes. Add 4 quarts water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until stock is reduced to 3 to 4 cups, about 3 1/2 hours. Strain, discarding bones and onion. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Spoon off and discard all fat before using.