wren08 | Stocks... but not the kind you loose money with (Reply)

Beef Stock

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the bones on roasting pans in a single layer, I used two pans. Roast the bones in the oven for 1 hour, turning them over occasionally. Roast until nicely browned, black is bad.

Smear the Tomato Paste onto the bones and put back in the oven for an additional 30 minutes, or until the paste starts to brown. Transfer the bones to a large stockpot using tongs. Cover the bones by 2 inches with COLD water. Bring up almost to a boil. Skim any impurities and scum off of the surface with a fine mesh skimmer. When the stock just barely starts to boil, immediately turn the heat down. You want the stock at what we call a Lazy Simmer. A slow bubble here and there. Once you've achieved this, you can pretty much leave the stock alone, checking periodically to make sure you're maintaining your lazy simmer, or to add a little more cold water to keep the bones covered. You always want to keep the solids covered with liquid. Skim periodically. Simmer for about 4-5 hours. In the mean time, add the following (except the Sachet bag) to your pans:
4 Medium Onions, Quartered, skins and all (washed)
5 Carrots, Washed and cut into 2 inch Chunks
5 Stalks Celery, Washed and cut into 2 inch Chunks
Sachet d'Epices (wrapped in a cheesecloth bundle and tied):
3 Fresh Bay leaves
4-5 Sprigs Fresh Thyme or 2 tsp dried 4-5 Parsley Stems
3-4 Garlic Cloves Crushed
Coat the mirepoix with the fat and Roast in the oven for about 1 hour or until the Onions are Caramalized. Put the roasted vegetables into a bowl and set aside. Deglaze the pans over a burner, with about 1-2 cups of cold water in each, scraping away the brown particles with a whisk. Do not skip this step. There is HUGE flavor hiding in these seemingly dirty pans! Add the liquid to the simmering stock. When the stock has simmered for about 4-5 hours, add the Mirepoix and Sachet to the pot. Simmer for 1-2 hours more. Strain through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. A conical strainer is best if you have one. I ladle the stock into the strainer. The object is to avoid stirring or disturbing the stock too much, making it cloudy. Also, Do not press on the bones or other ingredients to release more liquid. Discard the solids. At this point, if you want to concentrate the flavor, you can put the strained stock on the stove at a brisk simmer and let it reduce to your liking. Otherwise, cool the stock down as quickly as possible. Submerging the container in a sink filled with ice water works best, stirring occasionally. You do not want to put hot stock into the fridge. The next day, take the stock out of the fridge and skim the solidified fat from the top. You can now freeze the stock in small, convenient batches. Julia Child always suggested freezing some stock into ice cube trays, which gives you small portions to spruce-up sauces.

Most home cooks are intimidated by making stocks. Making a good stock is a cakewalk, as long as you follow a few simple rules:
Always start with cold water
Never boil
Never stir

Cook your stock slow & low, no shortcuts

Fish Stock

Chicken Stock

1. Rinse the bones under cool running water and place in a stockpot.

2. Add cold water or remouillage to cover the bones by about 2 inches. Add salt to taste if desired.

3. Slowly bring the stock to a simmer. Skim the surface as necessary.

4. Simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Add the mirepoix and sachet and continue to simmer the stock 1 more hour, skimming as necessary and tasting from time to time.

5. Strain the stock through a sieve or a colander lined with rinsed cheesecloth. The stock may be used at this point, or it may be properly cooled, labeled, and stored.

Notes:
Replace 2 pounds of the chicken bones with turkey necks for an extra rich, gelatinous stock