Diary of a Chef · Just Chefn Around

Beef Stock

20 hours · varies — log your volumes

By Diary of a Chef

Ingredients

• 11 1/4 lb beef bones: 71/4 lb knuckle · 31/4 lb oxtail · 3/4 lb bone-in shank
• 21 oz no-salt-added tomato paste
• 2 large yellow onions, roughly chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, halved, skin on (for charring)
• 4 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 large leeks, roughly chopped and rinsed well
• 3–4 bay leaves · 20–30 black peppercorns · 1–2 thyme sprigs
• Cold water to cover
• NO SALT at any stage — this reduces later; salt now becomes salt-bomb then

Instructions

1. 1Coat

   Bones, shank, and chopped onion tossed with all the tomato paste in a large bowl until coated. (Carrots and leeks wait — they go in the pot.)

2. 2Roast

   Single uncrowded layer; turn and rotate every 30 min. Done when deeply caramelized and the paste has gone brick-dark — dark, never scorched; scorch makes bitter stock.

3. 3Char the onion

   Dry pan, medium-high, the halved onion cut-face down until charred black-brown. This builds color and depth.

4. 4Build the pot

   Bones to the stockpot. Deglaze the roasting pan with water and scrape every bit of fond in. Add carrots, leeks, bay, peppercorns, thyme, charred onion. Cold water to cover. Log the liters.

5. 5The long simmer

   Bring up gently and hold at 190–200°F — steam and the occasional lazy bubble, NEVER a boil. Boiling clouds the stock and stresses the gelatin. Skim early; check occasionally; top with hot water only enough to keep bones covered.

6. 6Strain

   Colander first for the big pieces, then fine-mesh or cheesecloth into a clean pot. Log the strained volume.

7. 7Cool and rest

   Room temp fast (ice bath helps; never out over 2 hr), then refrigerate overnight. The fat cap solidifies for easy removal, and the stock below should jiggle like loose gelatin — that's the body.