How to prepare beef stock (bone broth) by simmering bones with flavorful vegetables, herbs, and spices Rich, silky, flavorful, and packed with vitamins, minerals, and collagen, it’s perfect for elixirs, soups, stews, and sauces.
I’ve never looked back (or touched a store-bought version again) since the day I first made homemade beef broth, which quickly evolved into making large quantities of homemade bone broth. Making beef bone broth is not only easy (though it does take some time), but the results are also much better.
There are no preservatives, it has a richer mouthfeel and better flavor, is simple to adjust (including the sodium levels), and is a genuinely economical recipe because it uses bones and other scraps that might otherwise go to waste.
Better still, you can make homemade bone broth using a variety of cooking techniques, depending on the time and effort you want to put in. Additionally, this collagen beef stock doubles as a restorative elixir, popular for sipping and taking advantage of the nutrient-rich liquid, in addition to being used as a delectable cooking liquid in soups and stews.
Watch How to Make Beef Stock the Right Way
The key to making stock is to first roast the bones to develop some caramelized flavor, then slowly bring the water to a simmer, cover the pot, and let the ingredients simmer gently for a considerable amount of time. It is beneficial to add some beef scraps or stew meat, as well as flavorful vegetables and herbs, to beef stock. A few veal bones will also help the stock’s gelatin content.
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Making Your Own Beef Stock
You might make some savings if you prepare a large quantity and freeze it. However, the main benefit is that your homemade stock will have a rich flavor and texture that you simply cannot get from a store.
Beef Stock vs. Beef Broth
Although the terms stock and broth are interchangeable on labels for items in the soup section, they are not the same in the kitchen.
To extract flavor and nutrients from the bones and any remaining meat and fat, stock is made from bones and cooked slowly for a long period of time. Occasionally, but not always, chunks of meat and vegetables are also included.
Stock also has no or minimal salt. When you first taste stock after it has been made, you might think it has little flavor or tastes “off,” but don’t worry. When you add salt to the recipe you use the stock in, its flavor will improve.
Meanwhile, broth is traditionally made using meat, vegetables, and seasoning. Since it already has seasoning, eating it straight up is more enjoyable. When adding salt to a recipe that calls for broth, keep in mind that the broth is already seasoned.
Storing or Freezing Beef Stock
Refrigerate beef stock for up to 1 week. When the broth is chilled, leaving the layer of fat that forms on top of it adds a barrier against bacteria while the stock is kept in the fridge.
In freezer-safe zip-top bags or freezer-safe canning jars, freeze stock for three to five months (leave an inch of space at the top for expansion as the broth freezes). Freeze in recipe-ready amounts. If there is any stock left, freeze it in ice cube trays. When a soup or stew needs a little more liquid or flavor, place the frozen beef stock cubes in a zip-top bag.
Try These Recipes That Use Beef Broth!
When you use stock as an ingredient in other recipes, using unsalted stock gives you more control over the seasoning and sodium content.
- 4 to 5 pounds of meaty beef stock bones (with lots of marrow), preferably some knuckle bones that have been cut to reveal the center marrow, and a few veal bones for their gelatin if you can
- 1 pound of beef scraps or stew meat (chuck or flank steak), cut into 2-inch chunks
- Olive oil
- 1 to 2 medium onions, quartered
- 1-2 substantial carrots, divided into 1- to 2-inch sections
- a single large celery rib, divided into 1-inch segments, or a number of celery tops
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- Fresh parsley, including stems and leaves
- 1 to 2 bay leaves
- 10 peppercorns
- 1 (12 to 16-quart) pot
- Fine mesh sieve
- Cheesecloth, if you have it
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Rub a little olive oil over the stew meat pieces, carrots, and onions. Roast the meat, bones, and vegetables. In a large, shallow roasting pan, add stock bones, stew meat or beef scraps, carrots, and onions. Turn the bones and meat pieces halfway through the cooking process to achieve a nicely browned roast for about 45 minutes. Lower the heat if any of the bones during this cooking process start to char. They should brown, not burn. Once the meat and bones are nicely browned, remove them from the pan and add the vegetables to a sizable (12 to 16 quart) stockpot. Simply Recipes / Lori Rice .
- Place the roasting pan on the stovetop over low heat, covering two burners, and add hot water while scraping up the browned bits. Use a metal spatula to scrape up all of the browned bits that are adhered to the pan’s bottom after adding 1/2 cup to 1 cup of hot water to the pan. Pour the browned bits and water into the stockpot. Simply Recipes / Lori Rice .
- Add celery tops, garlic, parsley, bay leaves, and peppercorns to the stockpot along with the vegetables and water, and bring to a low simmer. 1 to 2 inches of cold water should be added to the stockpot to cover the top of the bones. Turn up the heat and bring the pot to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low. The water should be between 180° and 200°F if you have a candy or meat thermometer (boiling water is 212°F). The stock should be barely simmering, with only a single bubble appearing now and then. (If you are using an oven-safe pot, place it in the oven at 190°F and use your smallest burner at the lowest temperature.) ) Place a loose lid on the pot and let it simmer slowly for 3 to 6 hours. Do not stir the stock while cooking. Stirring will incorporate the fats into the stock and cloud it. Simply Recipes / Lori Rice .
- Scum and fat should be skimmed off the surface of the stock as it cooks because fat will be released from the stew meat and bone marrow. Check the stock occasionally, and when you do, use a large metal spoon to remove any scum and fat that have risen to the surface. (Do not put this fat down your kitchen drain. It will solidify and block your pipes. To save for cooking or to discard, place it in a bowl or jar. ) Simply Recipes / Lori Rice .
- Remove solids and strain: After the required amount of time has passed (at least 3 hours, but ideally 6 to 8 hours), use a slotted spoon or spider ladle to carefully remove the vegetables, meat, and bones from the pot and discard them. (Try some marrow if you see it; it’s delicious. (If you have it, line an additional large pot (8-quart) with a fine mesh sieve that is covered in cheesecloth. To remove any remaining solids, strain the stock through the sieve. Simply Recipes / Lori Rice .
- Chill. Let cool to room temperature then chill in the refrigerator. Any remaining fat in the stock will have risen to the top and solidified once it has chilled. When the stock is refrigerated, the fat creates a barrier against bacteria. However, if you want to freeze the stock, take the fat out and throw it away. Then, pour the stock into a jar or other plastic container. (You can also boil the stock down and remove the fat to make it more concentrated so that it takes up less storage space. ) Allow 1 inch of space between the top of the stock and the top of the jar so that when the stock freezes and expands, the container won’t be broken. Simply Recipes / Lori Rice Simply Recipes / Lori Rice .
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 504 | Calories |
| 35g | Fat |
| 2g | Carbs |
| 46g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 16 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 504 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 35g | 45% |
| Saturated Fat 15g | 76% |
| Cholesterol 170mg | 57% |
| Sodium 126mg | 5% |
| Total Carbohydrate 2g | 1% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 2% |
| Total Sugars 1g | |
| Protein 46g | |
| Vitamin C 2mg | 8% |
| Calcium 32mg | 2% |
| Iron 5mg | 27% |
| Potassium 480mg | 10% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
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