RECIPE – Beef Stock

So, not too long a go, I made Heston Blumenthal’s slow roasted rib of beef and the gravy required beef stock as an ingredient.

So here’s the recipe for the beef stock that I used for the roast’s gravy. Stock – so easy, just time consuming.

Ingredients:

• 3kg beef bones (Comment: I also had a few pieces of oxtail from another recipe so threw that in)
• 1x chicken bone carcass
• 4x onions – peeled & halved
• 2x garlic cloves – peeled & slightly crushed
• 5x carrots – chopped into large chunks
• 5x star anise
• 3x bayleaf
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 8 black peppercorns

Method:

1. Put your bones into a large pot & cover with water. Bring to a boil then tip out the bones into a colander over the sink. (Comment: This is to get rid of the impurities in the bones)
2. Scrub the pot, return the bones & cover with water. Add all the other ingredients.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 3 hours. Skim any scum that rises to the top on a regular basis.
4. Strain the solids. If you’ve added too much water, reduce the stock until it tastes beefier. You can also reduce it into concentrate to make storage easier (Comment: If you’re fat conscious, fridge the stock & skim the solid layer of fat off the top before using it)

And voila, you are now ready to make a gravy or other dish.