Problems making beef stock. Please help.?!
Answers: I decided to take a try at making beef stock from scratch today. I purchased 7 pounds of bones from the butcher, threw them in my very large stock pot with some aromatics and added about 8 quarts of water. Boiled them for around six hours, and the stock is white - it looks like milk. Doesn't taste like much either, no beefy flavor. Anyone else has this happen to them? What am I doing wrong?
If you want a nice brown colored beef stock then you need to first roast your beef bones for a couple of hours at 300 degrees. And those bones should have some meat on them. You will want to add carrots, onion, celery & herbs (bay leaves, thyme, parsley, whole peppercorns) to your stock water also. Do not boil. Simmer. Use a big metal spoon to skim off the foam as it rises.
Roast the beef bones in the oven but don't charr them. Boil the roasted bones with celery, onions, all chopped up paysanne, salt and pepper, and even some apple. The dark brown colour you see in commercial stocks is because the manufacturers add caramel for the colour. In professional kitchens like Le Cinq in Paris, where I like to cook with my friend, Master Chef Philippe Legendre, the giant sized steel stock pot is boiling 24 hours a day. That is why restaurant soups and bouillons are some much more flavourful and concentrated than home ones. ENJOY! {:-)
You forgot the key step: roasting the bones. You need to put the bones in an oven-safe pan and roast them for labout 45 min - 1 hr at 400*. That gives the color and flavor. After roasting them, you then proceed as you did. Better luck next time.!
I have been cooking with my grandmother for some years now. There is one thing I know about stock: when in doubt use some good old bullion. If you have the time, go down to your local market and buy some packages of bullion. it is guaranteed to add that kick of beefy flavor. Happy cooking and good luck!
You should have cooked the bones first - without the aromatics, no water (don't wash the bones either. It prevents browning of the bones). Roasting them in an oven works best (375 or higher) . When they are nice and brown, add the bones to a large stockpot and cover with water -
(for 7lbs of bones - approx. qts of water - I think). Bring to a simmer.
Remove the fat from the roasting pan the bones were in (put in another pan to roast the vegetables in), then add some tomato paste and cook that in, then add some red wine to deglaze the pan/pot. After you have scraped up the goodness and reduced the red wine a little, then add this to the stockpot with the bones.
While the bones are coming to a simmer, roast the vegetables (carrots, onion, celery - mirepoix) until they are nice and brown as well. Add these to the stockpot when they are done. Add a sachet of herbs - your choice - along with some peppercorns and tie it to the handle of the pot so you can pull it out when necessary.
Bring to a boil, then quickly reduce to a simmer and let simmer for a few hours (about 8), making sure to skim off the fat from the stock every so often.
Strain the stock off through cheesecloth and a sieve when it is done and make sure to bring the temp down quickly and store it properly when you are done.
I know it's a lot, but it's worth it. Good luck!