Brothing. Stocking. Whatever.

Stock. The life-sustaining juice we squeeze out of animals. Yum. Making delicious stock is as important, if not more, as recycling. Wasting bones and marrow and meat remnants off a chicken carcass or steak bone is just as thoughtless as throwing your Diet Pepsi cans in the garbage- just don't do it. Stock is easy, tasty and versatile. It keeps in the freezer for a good, long time, and stock you've made at home is unlikely to have nasty chemicals (I mean you, MSG) in it.  I've posted about stock in the past, but that was more about a personal journey, and this is more about, well, a recipe. And that's why we tune in from time to time. Let's get cooking.

Broth and stock are a little different. The actual technical difference is that stock must contain bones, while broth does not. However, I like saying "I'm having broth for lunch" better than, "I'm having stock for lunch," so, feel free to call it what you like. Just know the difference if someone asks. Stock will taste and feel richer in the mouth because of the gelatins that are pulled from the bones, and a good stock will actually turn to jelly in the refrigerator. Broth, which is made by simmering meat, veggies and spices in water, is thinner, lighter tasting and can be almost fat free if the fat is skimmed off after cooking and chilling. 

The ingredients can be as simple, or complex as you'd like. Many stocks call for different seasonings and techniques based on their application. Good stock is the base for the coveted demi glace, an ingredient that catapults many a recipe on to greatness. (However, in this time of quick meals and chain restaurants, demi glace is often succumbing to a cornstarch-laden rendition. Don't even get me started.) The stock we will be talking about today will be a basic roasted stock. Roasting the bones and the vegetables will deepen their flavors, and the color of the stock itself. The first step to making good stock  is eating dinner. Reserve any bones that have NOT BEEN LICKED CLEAN- and place them in a ziplock bag in the fridge until there is time for stock making. (As an alternative to slapping the family off tasty beef bones, get them directly from your butcher.) When it's time to make stock, heat the oven to 400, get out a large roasting pan and toss in 2 onions, cut in quarters, 4 carrots, garlic and the bones. Drizzle the whole thing with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, toss it around. Roast for 25 minutes, or until the bones are browning and the vegetables have a few dark spots. Transfer all of this into a large stock pot on the stove. Cover it with cold water. Add a dash of red wine vinegar. This pulls out a little more flavor and gelatin from the bones. Bring the pot up to a boil, then turn the heat down a little- there should be bubbles, but not a crazy party- slow simmering is all that's needed. Skim the top from time to time, and leave it uncovered. The stock is done when it tastes like meat. Or chicken. Because the bones have been roasted, this can go for an hour, if it were made from raw bones, 4 hours or so would develop the flavors and texture more fully. 

Strain the stock into a container, chill it completely. Once it's cold, skim off the fat from the top. (I used my beef fat to make a suet cake for the birds.) 

The stock is unseasoned, so I usually reheat it, season it with salt and then store it away. It's a great quick lunch heated up and poured over some cooked meat, baby spinach leaves and noodles. Drizzle that with some hot chile oil... Now I'm hungry.