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Beef Stock

4.8

(6)

Cooks' note:

Stock keeps, covered and chilled, 1 week or frozen 3 months.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes about 8 cups

Ingredients

2 pounds meaty crosscut beef shanks (preferably 1 inch thick)
2 pounds meaty crosscut veal shanks (preferably 1 inch thick)
2 onions, quartered and left unpeeled
1 carrot, quartered
4 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1 fresh thyme sprig
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
16 1/2 cups cold water
2 celery ribs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Special Equipment

cheesecloth; kitchen string

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.

    Step 2

    Spread beef shanks, veal shanks, onions, and carrot in a large flameproof roasting pan and roast, turning occasionally, until well browned, about 1 hour.

    Step 3

    While shanks roast, wrap parsley, thyme, and bay leaf in cheesecloth and tie with string to make a bouquet garni.

    Step 4

    Transfer meat and vegetables to a 6- to 8-quart stockpot. Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add 2 cups water and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Add deglazing liquid to stockpot along with 14 cups water, celery, salt, and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil and skim froth. Add remaining 1/2 cup water, then bring mixture to a simmer and skim froth. Simmer gently, uncovered, 5 hours.

    Step 5

    Pour stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing hard on solids, and discard solids. If stock measures more than 8 cups, boil until reduced to 8 cups; add water if stock measures less than 8 cups. If using stock right away, skim off and discard fat. If not, cool stock completely, uncovered, before skimming fat (it will be easier to remove when cool), then chill, covered.

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