Meat Stock Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the ratio of meat to water in stock? ›

That minimum ratio—a pound of chicken per quart of water—was sufficient to extract enough gelatin from the wings to give me the loosely gelled stock above. If you can pack in even more chicken and aromatics, your stock will only get richer and more gelatinous.

The basic ratio for a good stock is 100% water, 50% bones and 10% mirepoix. To make it a rich stock you need to roast the bones and I like to bump the bones up to about 60% and the mirpoix to 15%. As in all brown stocks you would add a bit of tomato product too.

Woody herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, tarragon, and marjoram release tons of flavor as they slowly simmer in stock. Give them a rinse and toss in a big handful of sprigs per quart of store-bought stock.

The basic ratio I use for making stock is 4:1 1/2:1/2:1/2. That's 4 pounds of bones and meat, 1 1/2 pounds of onions, and 1/2 pounds each of carrots and celery. This ratio works for beef, chicken, turkey, ham/pork, veal, whatever the meat is and makes about 2 quarts of stock.

Place beef bones in a very large stock pot, at least 7 litres / quarts; Add the herbs and vegetables, and 3 litres of water to just cover the bones. Pack the bones and vegetables down so you minimise the amount of water required. Nobody wants to end up with a watery beef stock!

Updated 12.22. 2022. Main Image: The Water Footprint of Beef: To produce one pound (1 lb.) of steak requires, on average, 1,799 gallons of water.

Cook for at least 10-12 hours, or until reduced by 1/3 or 1/2, leaving you with 6-8 cups of bone broth. The more it reduces, the more intense the flavor becomes and the more collagen is extracted. We find 12 hours to be the perfect cook time.

The stock should be at a bare simmer, just a bubble or two coming up here and there. (You may need to put the pot on your smallest burner on the lowest temp, or if you are using an oven-safe pot, place it in the oven at 190°F.) Cover the pot loosely and let simmer low and slow for 3 to 6 hours.

There's a limit to how much flavor a given ingredient will impart—past that, extra time just turns everything to mush. Big beef or lamb bones can be cooked for up to eight hours, or overnight. Chicken bones are more like four to six. Veggies give up all their flavor in about an hour.

The most basic version of vegetable stock only requires a few simple ingredients, such as carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. Most recipes will also recommend adding mushrooms, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt for additional flavor.

Why doesn't my stock taste good? ›

If you find that your stock is bland, you probably should have used more bones. A bouillon cube or two can fix the problem, or simmer it again with fresh bones and mirepoix. Allow it to cool completely though, or you run the risk of it turning out cloud.

Never boil stock.

Just bring to the boil then turn down to simmer slowly for hours. Remember: if you want a darker, richer stock, brown off the bones and vegetables first before adding water to simmer. If you don't have enough bones from one meal to make a rich stock, freeze them and pull them out when you do.

For a clear stock, never let it boil and never stir it. Avoid adding salt if reducing the stock later. Concentrate the flavors by simmering the stock further after straining.

Chicken stock can be simmered for as little as 1 hour or up to 8 hours. Most often, you'll see recipes call for somewhere in between, about 3 to 4 hours. The longer the stock simmers, the more concentrated its flavor.

Key ingredients used in making stocks are bones, mirepoix (a mix of onions, celery and carrots), acid, scraps, and bouquet garni (tied herbs). Spices add flavoring while seasoning is used to enhance flavors.

People eat meat for the muscle. The muscle is approximately 75% water (although different cuts may have more or less water) and 20% protein, with the remaining 5% representing a combination of fat, carbohydrate, and minerals.

How to use. Dissolve 1 cube in 1 litre of boiling water.

Add the vegetables to a large pot with the salt, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Add 10-12 cups of water and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Finally, strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer to remove the vegetables and peppercorns.

One bouillon cube or a teaspoon of bouillon powder can be dissolved in one cup of boiling water to make one cup of broth. You can also melt bouillon cubes or powder directly into soups, stews, sauces and curries to enhance their flavour and create a thicker consistency.