A good beef stock recipe is the basis for richer, tastier dishes like the Famous French Onion Soup, and Au Jus Recipe For Beef Dip. It can also be used to deglaze your pan to get all those wonderfully flavorful bits to good use and for delicious sauces to accompany your meal.
And we don't want to forget about all the other scrumptious soups that can be simmered up with so much more flavor from a good beef stock
Although the recipe gives the amount of meat to use, this can be varied according to what you have available. If you store small pieces in your freezer, you will soon have a larger amount to use for your stock. Any pieces will be useful for a beef stock together with some beef bones.
This is a great beef stock recipe to keep in your kitchen for your home-made soups, sauces, stews, and casseroles.
How Long Can Beef Stock Be Stored
- In the refrigerator, beef stock will stay fresh for 3-4 days. Divide your stock into smaller containers before placing it in the fridge. Never put a large pot of stock or any other type of food in the fridge, as the center portion takes longer to cool and may deteriorate too far before it is at a safe temperature for storage.
- In the freezer, stock if packaged in an air-tight container will last a very long time, minimum 6 months.
What Other Stocks Can Be Made
Oh yes, there are many!
Important Notes
When meat stocks are cold, the broth will be jelly-like in consistency and no longer a liquid. It will resemble a dessert jelly, but softer. This gelatinous texture is due to the proteins in the bones being leached out. It will melt easily into a liquid again with a little heat.
📖 Recipe
Prep Like a Pro
Before you start cooking, chop, measure, and prep every ingredient, and gather your tools.
This simple habit reduces stress, prevents overcooking, and instantly improves your meals. Mise en Place - "Everything in its place."
How To Make Beef Stock
Ingredients
- 3-4 lbs beef bones meaty
- 3 carrots scraped, broken in several pieces
- 2 medium onions peeled, quartered
- 3 stalks celery broken in several pieces
- 2 leeks cleaned and cut into chunks
- 1 sprig thyme
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 2 garlic cloves unpeeled (more if you like)
- 2 whole cloves
- 6-8 peppercorns
Instructions
- Place the bones in a large heavy pot and cover with cold water by about two inches.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat and remove the scum that rises to the top.
- Add the remaining ingredients and more cold water so that everything is covered by at least an inch or two.
- Bring the stock back to a simmer, skimming as necessary.
- When the stock is simmering (Do not allow it to boil), maintain at a very slow simmer for four to five hours. (Do not cover the pan as this will cause the liquid to sour.)
- Keep checking, and if the water level gets too low, add boiling water.
- Continue skimming as necessary.
- When the vegetables and the bones have given their all, strain the broth and discard the solids.
- Set the stock, uncovered, in the refrigerator until the fat has risen to the top and solidified. (I prefer to leave it overnight as it is easier to take the fat off when it has solidified.)
- Remove and discard the fat.
- Taste the degreased stock and if it is not strong enough, reduce it over medium heat.
- When the stock is cold, store in the refrigerator for up to three to four days (but divide into small batches as a big pot will take a longer time to cool all the way through), or in the freezer for 6 plus months, possibly 12 months if sealed in an air tight container and kept at 0 degrees F.
Loved it, tweaked it, or not your "cup of tea"... I’d really love to hear how it went for you.