The secret behind most of the delicious soups, sauces, and stews is a good-quality & rich Homemade Beef Stock made from scratch. Although it takes some time and effort to prepare a good quality stock, it is sure worth it!
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All the good restaurants and hotels make their own beef stock in big batches to use in their sauces, soups, or stews.
I learned how to make this beef stock when I was working in a big hotel in London as a professional chef. We used to make it in big batches of stock a couple of times a week.
I still use the same ingredients and techniques when making it at home.
Why Should You Make Beef Stock at Home?
- Homemade Beef Stock from scratch is healthier and more nutritious than shop-bought ones.
- Also it has a full-bodied richness coming from the gelatin of the bones and connective tissues.
- A good homemade Beef Stock made from scratch tastes better and doesn't contain any salt.
- You can also save some pennies if you make them in big batches of beef stock and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- This Beef Stock recipe doesn't require a big list of ingredients. All you need is some beef bones, a few vegetables, and aromatic herbs. .
- A good homemade stock is a key to delicious soups, stews, and sauces!
- Making your own Beef Stock means that you can use your choice of beef cut, vegetables, and aromatics.
Beef Stock VS Beef Broth
Beef Stock broth is made with the beef bones simmered slowly for thicker, richer savory cooking liquid. It also has a gelatinous texture when cooled.
Beef Broth is made by simmering beef meat in water with mirepoix, aromatics, and herbs. It is much thinner with a less intense flavour.
Ingredients and Substitutes
What Bones To Use For Beef Stock ?
The key ingredient to a really good stock is meaty bones with marrows. The meat gives the flavor while the morrow gives the deepness and richness to the stock.
For extra flavor, add meaty bones like oxtail, shank, and short ribs.
You can get some bones from your butcher for making this beef bone broth. Make sure you ask your butcher to cut the bones into smaller pieces for you, especially marrow bones.
- Mirepoix - It is a mixture of onions, celery, and carrots. Some recipes suggest putting them whole in the stock but I cut them in chunky sizes for the best results.
- Tomato paste - It adds rich, umami flavor and brown color to the stock. It also adds acidity which helps break down the connective tissue in the bones to achieve a jelly-like texture.
- Aromatics - Thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and parsley stalks are the most common flavoring to add to beef stock.
How to Make Beef Stock From Scratch?
This is a straightforward recipe to follow. However, to achieve the best results you need to follow a few tips and simple steps:
Roast The Bones and Vegetables
Roasting the bones and vegetables develops the flavor and is also necessary for darkening the color of the stock. Make sure you roast the bones until brown without burning.
Preheat the oven to 220° C - 428° F. When the oven is hot, place the bones in a tray and roast for 25 minutes.
Take the tray out of the oven, spread the tomato paste on the bones, and add the vegetables on top of the bones.
Place the tray back in the oven and roast for another 20 - 25 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly charred.
Gently Simmer The Stock
Fill the pot with cold water, to 1 to 2 inches over the top of the bones and vegetables. Gently simmer on very low heat.
Don't stir it while cooking. Boiling or stirring will mix the fat and the scum in with the stock which will make it cloudy.
While your stock is gently simmering, all the scums will run to the surface. Skim them with a ladle now and then for a clear stock.
Cool It Down and Store
At the end of the cooking time, remove all the solids from the pan and pass the stock through a fine sieve into another clean pan or pot. Pour into the jars or containers to store in the fridge for up to a week.
The fat will rise to the top and solidify when it's chilled which would act as a protective layer against bacteria. Discard the fat if you are going to freeze the stock, otherwise, keep it for longer shelf life. You can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Where To Use Beef Stock
Beef stock is a great base to make soups or stews, as well as making sauces. Since you now have a good amount of homemade beef stock, it is a good time to try our delicious Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon, Kuru Fasulye, Braised Beef Cheeks, Tas Kebabi - Turkish Beef Stew ,or Traditional Cottage Pie recipes.
You will be surprised how much flavor and depth this beef broth will add to your dishes, and you'll reinvent your current recipes by simply switching to this stock rather than store-bought ones or water.
Top Tips From the Chef
- Make sure you ask your butcher to cut the bones into smaller pieces for you, especially marrow bones.
- Roasting the bones and vegetables develops the flavor and is also necessary for darkening the color of the stock. Make sure you roast the bones until brown without burning.
- Boiling or stirring the Beef Stock will mix the fat and the scum in with the stock which will make it cloudy.
- After making the beef stock, place it in a large container and place it in the fridge overnight or for at least 5 hours. As the stock chills, the fat will float to the top and harden. Keep the fat until you want to use the stock and skim it off with a spoon or a spatula before using it. The fat will help the stock keep fresh longer in the fridge.
- Patience is the key to success when it comes to making good Beef Stock. Let the stock simmer for a minimum of seven to eight hours. You can simmer longer for thicker and richer stock, for up to 24 hours!
Recipe FAQs
The best substitute for beef stock is beef broth. Although they are very similar, there are a few key differences between a stock and a broth. You can also substitute it with chicken stock or beef stock cubes.
Let the beef stock cool down at room temperature, transfer in airtight containers or glass jars and refrigerate them for up to five days. Alternatively, you can freeze them for later use for up to 5 months. If you freeze leftover stock in glass jars, make sure you leave 2 to 3 cm (1") headspace to avoid the jar breaking.
Start cooking your beef stock with cold water and let it simmer gently, without letting it boil. Also skim the scum regularly during the cooking period.
Related Recipes
For more recipes you can use homemade Beef Stock why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Homemade Beef stock from scratch as much as you enjoy using it in your recipes! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
Homemade Beef Stock
Equipment
- 1 sieve
Ingredients
- 2 kg beef bones
- 2 onions (cut in quarter)
- 1 carrot (chunky cut)
- 3 celery sticks (chunky cut)
- 4 bay leaves
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorn
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- few parsley stalks
- 3-4 litres water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220° C (430° F).
- When the oven is hot, place the bones in a tray and roast for 25 minutes.
- 25 minutes later, take the tray out of the oven and spread the tomato paste on the bones.
- Add the vegetables on top of the bones and roast for another 20 - 25 minutes.
- Place the roasted bones and the vegetables in a large pan and add enough cold water to cover the bones and vegetables, thyme, bay leaves, parsley stalks, and peppercorns.
- Simmer on very low heat for 6 to 7 hours, skimming the scum on the surface from time to time. Don't let it boil or don't stir it during cooking.
- At the end of the cooking time, remove all the solids and discard them.
- Pour the stock through a fine sieve into a clean pot and let it cool down.
- Pour the stock into the weck jars or containers to store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Make sure you ask your butcher to cut the bones into smaller pieces for you, especially marrow bones.
- Roasting the bones and vegetables develops the flavor and is also necessary for darkening the color of the stock. Make sure you roast the bones until brown without burning.
- Boiling or stirring the Beef Stock will mix the fat and the scum in with the stock which will make it cloudy.
- After making the beef stock, place it in a large container and place it in the fridge overnight or for at least 5 hours. As the stock chills, the fat will float to the top and harden. Keep the fat until you want to use the stock and skim it off with a spoon or a spatula before using it. The fat will help the stock keep fresh longer in the fridge.
- Patience is the key to success when it comes to making good Beef Stock. Let the stock simmer for a minimum of seven to eight hours. You can simmer longer for thicker and richer stock, for up to 24 hours!
Nutrition
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Geoffrey King
This sounds excellent...do you think you could use it to make Pho?
Ayla Clulee
Hi Geoffrey
I am sure you can use it if you add some ginger, star anise, cinnamon and any other asian flavourings you like 🙂
Ayla
Excellent recipe. I've made it twice.