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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Food Rule Number Eight: Learn from the Masters!

Though I have cooked all my life, mostly following my own mother's path, I have a trusty friend in this cookbook by Julia Child. 
Today, I will review the master recipe for making beef stock, and make enough to have on hand for my favorite recipes.

With a basketful of fresh produce just picked in my yard, I'll be able to enjoy delectable soups and minestre if I have beef or vegetable stock on hand.


The recipe calls for two operations. First, to brown the bones, carrots and celery in a hot oven. Then, transfer them to a pot, deglaze, add the juices from the browning, add a packet of herbs, a whole onion, salt and whole crashed cloves of garlic, plenty of water to cover the bones, four cut-up Roma tomatoes, and a pinch of salt.

Now, bring the whole thing to a simmer, and let it simmer away for three-four hours or longer.
You can leave it on the stove all day.

At the end, strain into jars, and freeze what you won't need in a couple of days.  The bones can be picked clean and the pulled meat saved for the time when you assemble your soup.

What you have is rich beef broth, for soups, for rice dishes, as a base for a variety of dishes.

I freeze mine in pint size glass bottles.

9 comments:

  1. I haven't done this in a while, but I think this year is the year to get back to using homemade stocks. Thanks for the recipe.

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  2. I love using my own homemade stock.

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  3. Lovely. Every time I come here I get mad I have not started a garden...

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  4. Good thing I'm not hungry as I visit tonight. I'm sure you saw Julia and Julia, right? That movie really pegged child's personality and genius.

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  5. I have never made beef stock...do you get soup bones from the market? or what part?

    I love to make my own chicken stock every time we roast a chicken (or pick up a rotisserie chicken). I save the bones and skin and small parts of meat, cover with water and boil a few hours then strain and freeze. I do this a lot in the summer, and store the stock and it get's me through much of the winter soup cooking.

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  6. Now that is getting back to basics. I also make my own chicken stock but I have never made beef stock. I know it's the thing for a good french onion soup and that's what I'm craving. Good stock!

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  7. Homemade stocks are the best and yours looks wonderful!

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  8. Your market can save you beef bones, knuckles and all. Let them know that you need about four, five bones and they'll be able to accomodate. I used five bones, and roasted them in a shallow roasting pan with cut up celery and carrots and a drizzle of oil at 400 F until browned.

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  9. Susan, it's a base for lots of good stuff.
    Marguerite, it's not mine. It's Julia's!
    Trish, yes, the movie-Merryl Streep especially-was wonderful entertainment and great motivator.
    Pseudo-Start a garden anytime in Hawaii!
    Eva-I wish I had a bigger stock pot.

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