Brown Stock

 

by TAG Editor

Brown stock is a foundation recipe that makes everything you use it with taste just that much richer and more amazing.  A classic.

Roast the below:

8 lbs Veal Bones
4 lbs Beef Bones
About 1 1/2 Cups Tomato Paste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Place the bones on roasting pans in a single layer, I use two pans. Roast the bones in the oven for 2 hours, turning them over occasionally. Roast until nicely browned, black is bad. When the bones are deep brown, smear the Tomato Paste onto the bones and put them back in the oven for an additional 30-40 minutes, or until the paste starts to brown.
Transfer the bones to a large stockpot. Covering past the bones with 2 inches with water. Bring to a near boil, turn heat to simmer. Skim impurities that float to surface with a ladle. The stock should be as still as possible. You want to achieve a clear stock. Frequent skimming is important. Keep bones covered with stock, if they get exposed add water to cover. Simmer for about 2-3 hours.

Add vegetables below to pan with drippings (the first three combined is called Mirepoix:

5 medium onions, washed and quartered with skins
5 carrots, washed and cut into cubes
5 stalks celery, washed and cut into cubes
1 bulb of garlic (whole head)

Tie all below into a cheesecloth:

Bouquet Garni*
peppercorns
garlic

Cook vegetables in the oven for about 1 hour or until the onions are caramelized. Put the roasted vegetables into a bowl and set aside. Deglaze with about 1-2 cups of cold water in each, scraping away the brown particles with a whisk maximizing the flavor that will be added to the stock.  Add this liquid mixture to the stock.When the stock has simmered for about 3 hours, add the vegetable Mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery combination) and Sachet to the pot. Simmer for 3-4 hours more.  Ladle the stock through a strainer.  You are aiming for a clear, flavorful stock.  There's about a gallon of brown stock when finished.

Let stock cool then refrigerate. Afterwards, skim and discard the solidified fat from the top.  The stock can be freezed in batches for later recipe use.