Taking Stock in Making Stock

Ok, so this doesn't save you time and it may not save you any money unless you get the bones for free but it tastes phenomenal.

In culinary school, we made stock every day and every time we were supposed to skim off the fat and scum from the top as it simmered. I don't do that anymore, not with beef broth anyway. It's dark. It's brown. As long as it's rich and flavorful, 99% of people tasting the broth won't know that I didn't meticulously skimmed the scum...most of which gets filtered out by the strainer and cheesecloth anyway.

For beef stock, roasting the bones and adding a little tomato paste are key. If you don't, the results will be devastatingly bland. The caramelization of the bones gives it depth and flavor. The acid in the tomato helps to break down the collagen into gelatin which gives the stock richness.

They say the ratio is 5:1, bones to mirepoix (the French trifecta of 2 parts onion, 1 part carrot, 1 part celery). I know it's a lot of math--I approximate, it's a culinary art after all not a science. The amount of water you add is as much as is necessary to cover everything in the pot.

Roast bones in 450*F oven on sheet pan or cookie sheet until brown, turning occasionally for even roasting. When done, add to pot. Place chopped veggies on the same tray and put in oven to roast a bit, mix in 1-2 TBL tomato paste (I've used ketchup in a pinch). The liquid and steam from the veggies will actually help deglaze the pan. When done, add that to the pot and use a spatula to scrape the fond (nice brown bits of flavor) from the pan into pot. Cover completely with cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 6-24 hours.

I like to do this an hour before bedtime. Then I finish up the next morning before work or if I'm feeling daring (or "running behind"), that night after work (adding water if necessary so that water line does go below food line while I'm away). To finish, I get a large pot suspend a strainer lined with cheesecloth on the rim and scoop in the stock, bones into it.

The stock is amazingly rich and those bones hold a surprising amount of fat that will solidify on top as it cools. Use it for cooking or discard in trash after it's cool (don't pour it down the drain unless you like dealing with plumbing problems). 5 lbs. of bones yields about 3-4 quarts.

I used bones from pasture-raised beef. You can't find that on the shelves of the grocery store. That's why I did it. It makes the house smell yummy, too, but this task is not for everyone.