How to Make Beef and Chicken Stock

Beef stock ? especially homemade beef stock is remarkably easy to prepare especially using this tried-and-true classic beef stock recipe. All you need is a lazy Saturday or Sunday around the house, some soup bones and vegetable scraps are all that this beef stock recipe requires.

And chicken stock- something I starting making a few years ago- is just as easy. I save the carcass from cooking a whole chicken, or the bones from chicken pieces in a bag in the freezer. I also throw in vegetable scraps when I have them. Then, when the bag is full, it is time to make chicken stock.

This month we are participating in the Eat from the Pantry Challenge. When I made the inventory list of our freezer I noticed that the chicken bone bag was full. I also found a few packages of soup bones from the 1/4 cow we purchased this summer. Since we have an added incentive to completely clean out the freezer, I figured now was a great time to get both stocks made. Yes, I will be freezing most of the stock, but we will use it over the next month or so. In fact, when I was coming up with the menu plan for this week, I realized that the only stock/broth we had was shrimp stock. So we will definitely be using both the chicken and beef stock we make this weekend.

Both recipes are very similar. The only real difference with the beef stock is that you must roast the bones. If you don't, you may end up with a very bitter tasting broth. Below is the recipe for beef stock. For chicken stock, just skip the roasting step and start with throwing everything in the pot.

Beef Stock Recipe

Several Pounds of Beef Soup Bones
A freezer bag full of vegetable scraps (carrot peelings, onion tops, celery leaves etc. Don?t use brassicas or beets as they contribute an off-taste to the beef stock.)
Fresh, cold water
2 Tablespoons Vinegar (draws minerals out of the bones)
2-3 Bay Leafs

Rinse an clean the bones under clean water. Pat them dry. Roast the bones at 400° F for about an hour until the bones are well-browned and fragrant. Roasting the bones ensures a good flavor in the resulting beef stock. Once the bones are browned, drain off any fat.

Add the bones to a big pot along with any vegetable scraps you might have. Add cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Once you?ve brought the water to a boil, add the vinegar and bay leafs. Turn down the heat and continue to simmer for several hours to a full day. Throughout the cooking process, skim off any foam and add water as needed.

When the stock is finished simmering, filter through a fine mesh sieve and place in a large bowl. The stock should set just like gelatin, and the fat should rise to the top. Pick off the fat and reserve it for cooking, then scoop out the gelled stock and reheat to serve as soup, or place in freezer containers or ziplock bags and freeze until use. Note that it?s wise to serve this stock very hot as it may gel again once it cools.