This is a kitchen staple that every chef needs.

Brown stock is a staple in cooking and is the base for a ton of recipes. Brown stock is a highly gelatinous and makes for a rich and flavourful stock. In French cooking, traditionally a veal stock is used but a beef stock is also great. The beef stock will have a deeper and heartier flavour whereas the veal will be more delicate. You can use this stock to make delicious sauces (like a demiglace), gravies, braises, stews and soups. There are a ton more uses for stock so it's great to keep on hand in the freezer!

BEEF STOCK

Found in: MEAT: Everything You Need to Know

Ingredients

• 8 lbs Bessie beef bones (or veal). Use a combination of neck and marrow bones.
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 stalks of celery (remove leaves) cut into 3 or 4 pieces each.
• 1 leek, halved lengthwise and thoroughly cleaned.
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ¾ lb. yellow onions, peeled and quartered
• ¾ lb. carrots, cut into 3 or 4 pieces each
• 1 medium tomato, halved
• 8 large cloves garlic, halved
• 12 sprigs of fresh Italian parsley
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 8 black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf

Tools

• Cutting board
• Knives
• Large stockpot
• Baking sheet

Steps

1. Receive your Bessie Box delivery after choosing the neck bones and marrow bone add on.
2. Defrost bones.
3. Give the bones a quick rinse under cold water to remove any particles that could cloud the stock.
4. Preheat oven to 450F
5. Arrange bones in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until golden brown all over (1 - 1 ½ hours). Make sure to turn the bones over to roast evenly.
6. Heat oil in large stockpot for ~2 minutes or until it slides easily in the pan.
7. Add celery and leek and cook until they are golden brown (8 – 10 minutes).
8. Add tomato paste and cook until paste darkens in colour slight (~2 minutes). Remove from heat.
9. Remove bones from the oven and transfer to stockpot.
10. Put onions and carrots on the same baking sheet as you removed the bones from. Toss to coat with the fat already on the sheet. Roast for 35 – 45 minutes until they are golden brown. Turn vegetables once so they brown evenly.
11. After roasting, transfer carrots and onions to stockpot. Add enough water to cover bones by 2 inches and bring to boil over high heat, skimming foam that comes to the top.
12. Reduce heat to low, add tomatoes, garlic, parsley, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Simmer for 3 to 4 hours until the stock is a milky brown colour.
13. Continually skim any foam or oil that rises to the top. If bones become uncovered, add more water.
14. Remove stock from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
15. Strain the stock and discard the solids.
16. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for several hours before using (It can last up to 5 days in the fridge).
17. Before using, skim off fat that has hardened at the top. Tips: You can make extra stock and freeze to keep for several months. Seal in an airtight container. If you’re sealing in a glass container remember ton leave plenty of room for the stock to expand while frozen.

Enjoy!

Get cooking:
Want to try our interesting cuts? | Order today and add-on marrow bones!
Recipes | Check out more Bessie recipes