Beef Stock

BEEF STOCK

Final Goal: Makes 2 quarts. Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze

p. 48 Good Enough

p. 252 USA

p. 37 New Best

Version: Nourishing Traditions p. 122

Lifespan not specified. Knuckle bones and feet for gelatin, marrow bones for flavor and nutrients, rib or neck bones for flavor and color

Quantity not specified (I’m guessing 4 qt) Makes ?? quarts.

About 4 pounds beef marrow and knuckle bones

1 calves foot, cut into pieces (optional)
3 pounds meaty rib or neck bones
4 or more quarts cold filtered water
1/2 cup vinegar
3 onions, coarsely chopped (2” pieces)
3 carrots, coarsely chopped (2” pieces)
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped (2” pieces)
several sprigs fresh thyme, tied together
1 tsp dried green peppercorns, crushed
1 bunch parsley

Place the knuckle and marrow bones and optional calves foot in a very large pot (8 qt stockpot) with vinegar and cover with water. Let stand for one hour. Meanwhile, place the meaty bones in a roasting pan and brown at 350 in the oven. When well browned (about 30 minutes), add to the pot along with the vegetables. Pour the fat out of the roasting pan, add cold water to the pan, set over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen up coagulated juices. Add this liquid to the pot. Add additional water, if necessary, to cover the bones; but the liquid should come no higher than within one inch of the rim of the pot, as the volume expands slightly during cooking. Bring to a boil. A large amount of scum will come to the top, and it is important to remove this with a spoon. After you have skimmed reduce heat and add the thyme and crushed peppercorns. Simmer stock for at least 12 and as long as 72 hours. Just before finishing, add the parsley and simmer another 10 minutes. Remove bones with tongs or a slotted spoon. Strain the stock into a large bowl. Let cool in the refrigerator and remove the congealed fat that comes to the top. Transfer to smaller containers and to the freezer for long term storage (up to 3 months).

Version: Cook’s Illustrated The Best Recipe: Master Recipe for Rich Beef Stock:

Refrigerate up to 5 days. Use remaining meat in sandwiches or other recipes. The goal was a broth that didn’t take all day and that could be made from supermarket cuts.

Makes scant 2 quarts.

2 tbsp oil for browning meat
6 pounds of shank; meat cut from bone in large chunks, or  2 pounds small beef marrowbones and 4 pounds chuck
1 large onion, halved
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 tsp salt
water

(Sweat the meat before adding water to eliminate scum) Heat 1 tbsp oil in large soup kettle or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; brown meat, bones, and onion halves on all sides in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan, and adding additional oil to the pan if necessary. Remove kettle contents and set aside. Add red wine to empty kettle; cook until reduced to a syrup, 1 to 2 minutes. Return browned bones, meat, and onion to kettle. Reduce heat to low, then cover and sweat meat and onion until they have released about ¾ cup dark, very intensely flavored liquid, about 20 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, add 2 quarts water and salt; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to very low, partially cover, and barley simmer until meat is tender, 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Strain broth, discard bones and onion, and set meat aside, reserving half the meat for other use. (At this point, broth and remaining meat that will be used in soup can be cooled to room temperature and covered and refrigerated up to 5 days.) Let broth stand until fat rises to the top; skim and discard fat. When the meat is cool enough to handle, shred into bite sized pieces for use in soup recipe.

Basic Meat Bone-Building Broth – p. 306 Garden of Eating - Makes 4 quarts

3 to 4 pounds meat bones, leg, marrow, or assorted bones (raw or from cooked meats)
5 to 6 quarts filtered water, or slightly more as needed
2 bay leaves and/or 2 or 3 (5 inch) pieces kelp, kombu, or alaria sea vegetable
3 tbsp lemon juice or 2 tbsp raw apple cider

Combine all ingredients except water, in 5 to 6 quart slow cooker. Add water to within 1 inch of top. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, if possible. Reduce heat to LOW and cook 8 to 10 more hours. Skim off foam that rises to surface during first 30 minutes. Simmer until broth appears milky. Add water if needed to keep bones covered. Remove bones with large slotted spoon or pour through large colander over extra large bowl. Return broth to pot and place in sink filled with several inches of ice water. Cool for 30 minutes. Strain and ladle into 1 quart Mason jars or freezer containers allowing 1 inch of head space in each container. Label, date and refrigerate. Broth will thicken as it cools. Skim off and discard fat layer before using or freezing broth. Use refrigerated broth within 10 days. Use frozen broth within 9 months.

Stocks: Use the carcasses or bones of chicken, beef, lamb, pork, duck, and fish to make mineral-rich stocks. Place 1 chicken or duck carcass, or about 3 pounds of bones, in 3 quarts of water along with 1/4 cup of raw vinegar (optional) and 3 tablespoons of sea salt (optional). You can also add some fresh vegetables like potatoes, onions, or carrots if you like. Try to add some chicken, pig’s, or calves feet to the pot as these are where the gelatin concentrates in the animal. Simmer for about 8 hours. Skim off foam at top. Refrigerate. Remove any fat that has hardened on the surface. Use what you need and freeze what is left over (frozen broth will keep for about 6 weeks in the freezer).

SoupBasics? website: http://www.soupsong.com/bstock.html

(Makes 5 quarts)

5-6 lbs cracked beef bones
2-3 lbs soup bones with meat
leftover meat or fat that's around
2 carrots, washed and trimmed
4 onions, quartered
handful of fresh parsley
2 parsnips, washed and trimmed
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black peppercorns

In a 450 degree F. oven, roast the bones and meat in a large roasting pan for an hour. Put all bones in a large stockpot, then deglaze the roasting pan with a cup of water--and pour that into the stockpot. Add the remaining ingredients, then fill the stockpot with water to the 3/4 point. Bring to a boil slowly, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Remove cover, then simmer for at least another hour. Strain and pour into a variety of different sized containers (for different uses). Do not remove fat--this will seal the stock for its life in the freezer. Let cool to room temperature, then freeze.

With Pictures: Beef broth –> consommé –> pho: http://www.cookthink.com/blog/?p=719

By Comparison, packaged Beef Broth, available in 14 oz cans or 32 oz aseptic cartons - http://www.swansonbroth.com/ourproducts.aspx

EssentialComponents?