The basis of any good potage is a flavorful stock. But what is a stock? Technically, stocks are made from bones and the meat and connective tissues that are still attached. Usually, aromatics and other seasonings are added. On the other hand, simmered meat is a broth. Broths can be flavorful, but they won’t develop the body and texture of a stock.
To begin the stock, use the largest stock pot available. Electric crock pots are also useful if space is at a premium, but most crock pots will not hold very much product. Get the biggest pot that will fit on your stove.
There are basically two varieties of stock: brown and white. Brown stocks are made by roasting or browning the bones and vegetables before simmering. This will give greater flavor, but they are more time consuming and tend to be too dark for cream soups or sauces.
White stocks start by immediately simmering the ingredients. With either type of stock, start with cold water and bring just to a simmer. Boiling a stock will make it cloudy. At this altitude, a simmer is just less than 200 F.
So what to put in the stock? The carcasses from roasted chicken and turkey can make great poultry stock. This has the added benefit of reusing food scraps that might have gone to waste. Alternatively, if you cut the bones from poultry before cooking, you can save them for a white stock.
For an extra rich and flavorful brown stock, buy beef short ribs. These can be found in any good grocery meat section, or from a butcher shop. There are several great carnicerias in town that carry beef ribs for a good price.
To begin the stock, brown the bones in an oven at 375 F. Some chefs like to rub the bones with tomato paste to give even more flavor. When the bones are about halfway done, add a good few handfuls of mire poix. Mire poix is the French term for the aromatics used in stock.
Typically, recipes call for two parts diced onion and one part each diced carrots and celery. Browning the mire poix along with the bones gives deeper flavor. Using the peels and ends of vegetables is another good way to reduce waste, but remember, this is a stock pot, not a garbage can. Washed onion peels give a nice color and flavor, as do washed carrot skins and celery leaves.
Once the bones and veggies are browned — 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how much is in the pan — place in the stock pot and add enough cold water to cover at least 4 inches past the bones. Starting with cold water will prevent the bits of meat and connective tissue from coming off the bones and clouding the stock.
Add some flavorings. Parsley stems, fresh thyme and peppercorns are traditional for French recipes, but feel free to use other seasonings to make the stock your own. Chinese stocks use star anise, lemongrass and other herbs and spices. Remember: never add salt to a stock until after it is added to the final recipe. Salt flavor intensifies with evaporation.
Simmer the stock as long as necessary; the longer the better — up to a point. Too much simmering will let the ingredients disintegrate and cloud the stock. Remove the bones and vegetables by using a strainer or colander. If there was a lot of fat on the bones or meat, there may be an oily scum on top of the stock. Skim off the scum and discard.
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For storage purposes, reduced stock holds much more flavor by volume. If freezer space is not available, reduction can help. Simply let the stock continue to simmer until it has reduced in volume. If storing stock, the biggest challenge is cooling it quickly enough. Stocks can go sour and develop food-borne pathogens if left to cool for too long. Placing stock into a shallow container and stirring can help cool it quickly. Also, sanitized plastic jugs or bottles filled with water and frozen can be placed in the stock to help cool.
Stock will last for a few months frozen in a well-sealed container, or a few days in the fridge. However, at this time of year, stocks will probably go straight into a soup or stew. Any recipe is improved by using a homemade stock. Feel free to substitute it for water when cooking rice, boiling noodles or nearly any other use.
Steve “Mo” Fye is a food columnist for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @UncaMo.
