Best Brown Beef Stock Recipes

BROWN BEEF STOCK

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Arrange bones and short ribs in a single layer in a large, heavy roasting pan. Drizzle with oil and turn to coat. Roast, turning once and stirring often for even browning, until beginning to brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, add tomato paste, and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for about 30 seconds (to let it brown a little, which cooks out some of the acidity and intensifies the sweetness), then add vegetables, stirring well. Return to oven and roast until vegetables are browned and tender and bones are deeply browned, about 40 minutes.
• Transfer bones and vegetables to a large stockpot, then spoon off fat from roasting pan and discard. Set the pan over two burners. Add water and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits from bottom with a wooden spoon. Boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Pour contents of pan into the stockpot.
• Add enough water to stockpot to cover bones and vegetables by 2 inches (about 6 quarts). Bring to just under a boil, then reduce heat to a bare simmer (bubbles should just gently break at the surface). Add herbs and peppercorns and very gently simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 8 hours, adding more water as necessary to keep everything submerged.
• Carefully pour stock through a cheesecloth-lined sieve (do not press on solids) into a large heatproof bowl or another stockpot; discard solids. Stock will be dark brown. Skim off fat if using immediately or let cool completely (in an ice water bath, if desired) before transferring to airtight containers. Refrigerate at least 8 hours to allow the fat to accumulate at the top; lift off and discard fat before using or storing.

BROWN VEAL OR BEEF STOCK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Roast the bones for 30 minutes or until well browned, add the onions, celery and carrots and roast for 30 minutes longer. Transfer bones and vegetables to a 1012 quart tall stockpot. Discard fat from roasting pan and deglaze with 2 cups of the water. Add this to the stock pot with remaining water, bouquet garni and tomato. Bring the liquid slowly to a boil, skimming often. Simmer for 4 5 hours, skimming occasionally and replenishing the water to keep the level of water somewhat constant.
• Strain and discard solids; let stock come to room temperature and chill. When chilled, discard surface fat. Bring back to a simmer and adjust for seasoning. If too weak for your taste, reduce, the season with salt.
• If you want to concentrate it, keep on reducing and transferring to a smaller pot until you have the consistency you want.

BROWN STOCK (VEAL OR BEEF STOCK)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Arrange the bones in 1 layer in a roasting pan, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. If necessary, use 2 pans. Roast the bones in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then turn over and roast 20 minutes more. Turn the bones over 1 more time and roast until the bones are a uniform golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Sprinkle the chopped vegetables over the bones; roast for 10 minutes, stirring to prevent burning. Dab the bones with tomato paste and roast until the vegetables begin to brown, about 10 minutes more. If vegetables or bone tips have burned, carefully remove the burned areas and discard Transfer the bones (only) to a large stockpot. Place the roasting pan full of vegetables on the stove over medium heat. Allow the pan to get very hot, then add the wine; deglaze by scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Transfer the vegetables and all of the deglazing liquid to the stockpot, as this will give the stock wonderful flavor. Add the water to the pot and bring to a boil, skimming any scum as it surfaces; immediately reduce the heat and bring the stock to a simmer. Add the bouquet garni and simmer for 6-8 hours, carefully skimming any scum or fat from the surface as it forms throughout the cooking process. When the stock has reached the desired strength, use tongs to remove the large pieces of bone and/or meat. Strain the stock through a coarse strainer to remove the vegetables, then strain the stock again through a fine mesh sieve or colandar covered in cheesecloth. Place the stock in a non-reactive container and chill quickly in an ice water bath, stirring often. When the stock has cooled completely, place it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours to allow the fat to congeal on the top of the stock. Remove congealed fat with a kitchen spoon before using in recipes.