The following is an excerpt from “The Locavore’s Kitchen” by Marilou K. Suszko. The excerpt is from Chapter 3: Fall. To find out more about the recipes in “The Locavore’s Kitchen” and the importance of eating local, read this interview with author Marilou Suszko.
Meat Stock
Makes 8 cups
The heartiest, most assertive of all meat stocks, whether beef, veal, or lamb, are crafted not from meat or bones alone but from meaty bones like shank cuts. Look for the cuts that have a balanced ratio of bone to meat. You can make an even fuller-flavored stock by roasting the bones (meat removed) before adding them to the stock. Simply arrange them on a baking sheet and roast in a 400°F oven until the bones begin to brown. Blood on the bones can make a stock cloudy, so soak them in cold water for 30 minutes before roasting or using raw.
6 pounds shanks (beef, veal, or lamb), meat separated from the bones and reserved, fat trimmed and discarded, bones roasted if desired (see above)
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
½ cup red wine (optional)
6 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 fresh bay leaf
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
Salt, to taste
1. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft, fragrant, and beginning to brown slightly. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the red wine and cook for a few additional minutes until the liquid has evaporated. Add the herbs and peppercorns. Add the bones and reserved meat, weighing down the other ingredients. (If the bones have been roasted, scrape any particles and juices from the pan into the stockpot.)
2. Cover with cold water to just above the bones. Bring to a boil, skimming any impurities that rise to the top. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 2 to 2½ hours, without stirring, until the meat is tender and the stock has achieved a rich, beefy flavor.
3. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. Press gently on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Reserve the meat, shredding into small pieces for soups. Taste the stock and season with salt.
4. Cool the stock to room temperature. Cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. The fat from the stock will rise and congeal at the surface. Remove carefully with a spoon and discard. Use the stock within 5 days, storing it in the refrigerator; or freeze for up to 6 months, packing and freezing the reserved meat separately.
For more homemade stock recipes, read the original article, “How to Make Homemade Stock.”
