Years ago, I learnt that there is magic in meat stock. If you are one of those who still cook with just water, hehehe… my sister what is wrong with you?😂 Let me tell you something_ stock is a much better liquid for your cooking than simple water. From fried rice, to jollof rice or even something as simple as indomie, use stock instead of water and you will see the difference. Am going to show you how I make a good beef stock and I hope you take this to your kitchen.
There is the original beef stock recipe that doesn’t require any roasting. But it was later discovered that, roasting the bones first made a significant difference. Also, a stock should not be confused with a broth. A broth is made with the fleshy part, while a stock is made with the bones.
First thing is acquiring the bones. I will just go to the butcher and talk to him and he will arrange bones for me. You have to be specific about it, tell the butcher the parts that you want. There is part that has that juicy bone marrow thing dripping out of it. Let the butcher break it before giving it to you.
Wash those bones and roast them in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Try to line your roasting pan with foil paper. I didn’t line my pan and it took white vinegar and baking soda to bring it back to life. Once roasted, I just cook it with as many herbs, roots and vegetables as I can get. For this recipe, I used garlic, ginger, carrots, white onions, leek, celery, coriander, mint, parsley, yellow pepper, green capsicum. I did not have fresh rosemary, so I use dry sticks of rosemary.
Then I add enough water and cook on really low heat for 10 hours. I can take breaks sometimes, that is_ put off the fire if I need to go out of the house. Then I resume cooking when I am back. Some people actually do this overnight and check it when they get up in the morning, but I cannot do that. If I want to sleep, I will put off the fire.
The pot that I am using is a 18/10 Stainless Steal pot with a heavy bottom and it has markings on it, which is great because I get to monitor how much liquid is left. I do this for 10 hours, some people do it for as much as 18 hours and I think quantity matters. Those people who do it for nearly 20 hours do it in a huge batch, usually for restaurant purpose. Once I am satisfied, I remove all those herbs and veggies and strain the liquid to remove any particles.
I like to put it a small glass jars and store in the fridge. I use this for sauces, noodles, rice, pasta and it has a rich flavor. I hope you give this a try and let me know.
Exquisite