Skip the can and make your own Beef Stock From Scratch for all of those winter soups and stews!
Soup Season is here! Also known as boot season, also known as big cozy sweater season, also known as the season I usually gain 5-10 lbs because I begin living in tights with winter dresses / skirts and avoiding buttoning pants so I can live in happy cozy comfort food denial. Like rich winter soups. We're making those soups even better with Beef Stock From Scratch!
And the key to any soup or stew From Scratch? Homemade stock. From Scratch Chicken Stock is always in our house because it's so incredibly easy and cost effective to make. Beef stock, however, it's been on my list for awhile. It's a bit more complicated and time consuming, but as I've been dreaming of all the beef stock soups I want to start making, it had to happen.
Ingredients Needed
Like any stock, you'll need a bunch of veggies to add to the flavor.
- Veggies - Carrots, celery, onion, garlic and use any part of them that you have! Use those celery leaves / core. Use the ends of the carrots or some that have been in the fridge too long. Use any kind of onions you have.
- Tomato Paste, Peppercorns, and Bay Leaves - More flavor bombs!
- Red Wine - If white is all you have, no problem.
And most importantly:
- Beef Bones - You can find beef bones at your local butcher shop. Just ask them for 2 inches and that they have a lot of nice marrow in them.
Step-by-Step Instructions
There's nothing terribly difficult about this recipe. All you need is time.
Step 1: Roast bones in the oven for 1 hr.
Step 2: Add tomato paste over the bones.
And then add the veggies on top and roast for another 30 minutes.
Step 3: Deglaze the pan with wine (to get all the browned flavor bomb bits from the bottom of the pan), it's ready to be added to the stock pot with lots of water.
Step 4: Bring it all to a boil and then lower it to a simmer so it can reduce with all the flavors and fat from the marrow of the bones.
After about 4 hrs, you have an incredibly flavorful stock!! You can always simmer longer, too. This will reduce the stock and make it more concentrated which could be a good option if storage space is limited.
Other Homemade Stocks
Once the stock is to your liking, then it's just storing it. We let our simmer for a total of 10 hrs and as a result, we had 10 cups of super rich, super concentrated, super delicious beef stock from scratch. It's so rich, we added an equal part water to it when we used it.
Ways to Use Beef Stock
Green Bean Mushroom Braised Chicken
Add it in for any of your favorite soups!
FAQs
Absolutely! Use whatever you have or whatever veggie kitchen scraps you have that you would otherwise throw away.
Yup! Add anything you have on hand that you'd like.
You don't have to. It certainly adds a depth of flavor, but if you don't want to use wine, just use a little bit of water to deglaze the pan before you add the rest of the water.
Either in the fridge, if you're going to use it within 2-3 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. If you're going to pressure can follow pressure canning instructions.
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
If you want to see more, be sure to sign up for my 5 Easy Ways to Start Cooking From Scratch!
Beef Stock From Scratch
Equipment
Ingredients
- 7 pounds beef bones sawed into 2-inch pieces
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 2 cups claret wine
- 20 peppercorns
- 5 garlic cloves peeled
- 5 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoon of salt
- 1 1/2 gallons water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the bones on a roasting pan and roast for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and brush with the tomato paste. Lay the vegetables over the bones. Return to the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
- Place the pan on the stove and deglaze with the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan for browned particles. Put this mixture in a large stock pot. Add the peppercorns, garlic, and herbs. Season with salt.
- Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 4 hours*. Remove from the heat and skim off any fat that has risen to the surface**. Strain the liquid and discard the bones. Will yield approximately 1/2 gallon is simmered for 4 hours.
- Store in air tight containers in fridge for 2-3 days, freezer for 6 months, or can with a pressure canner. Water bath canning will not work for stock due to it's low acidity.
I’ve always bought stock at the grocery store but bet that this has way more flavor!
It's such a good idea to make your own stock and a very frugal way of living too.
I love making broth from scratch. It has so much more flavor than anything you can buy pre-made. Which reminds me, I'm past due for cooking up a batch.
You're so right, Christie!
Homemade is SO much better! I can't wait to try this recipe. My winter stews await!
Enjoy, Jessica!
Can this be cooked in a slow cooker
Hi Rosemary - yes, I believe so. As long as it's simmering!
Like the idea of freezing first then removing fat, makes it easier actually since all at freezes on top!
I just made something VERY similar this weekend just as a pho broth, it has the bones (which I baked for an hour with an onion), star anise (which I mispronounced at the store when asked what I was looking for), fish sauce, and ginger. I let mine simmer for 8 hours and had to search online for a while if I should cover the pot while simmering, final answer was no so the captured steam wouldn't dilute my broth. But I didn't skim the fat and BOY do I wish I had, kinda gross looking all white and clumpy when I took it out of the fridge. LOOK AT US, talking cooking and stuff and the word fire didn't come up once!!!
I'm so proud of you, grasshopper. 😉