05/22/2016
A buddy of mine asked me how to make stock. Mine is bistro, not refined, but still ahead of most restaurants that still make theirs. Anyone who isn't Keller or Ripert will do well to follow this method. It takes one afternoon to make 6-12 months' worth, depending on how much you cook.
Phil Jenkins, this is for you:
Accumulate all the chicken or beef bones you can fit comfortably into a stock pot. Store them in your freezer until you have enough.
Rinse them in cold water and strip off the bigger chunks of clinging meat (back of a small knife or your CLEAN thumbnail work equally well). Set them out and let them dry.
While that's happening, prep a mire poix equal to roughly half the volume of the bones. That's 50% onion (yellow is traditional, but I prefer white), 25% carrot and 25% celery. Clean and peel the carrot and celery and chop all three roughly into a large bowl. Douse with olive oil and sprinkle heavily with coarse kosher salt. Put it in a large roasting dish at 400 and roast 90 minutes, stirring every 10. (Seriously, do it).
While the veg is roasting, put the dried bones in a large bowl and cover with one 6 oz can of tomato paste, throw with your hands until it's evenly covered.
When the veg is roasted, remove it and set aside. In NOT MORE THAN 2 LAYERS put the bones in a roasting pan (2 if needed) in the same 400 degree oven, again turning every 10 minutes for 30 minutes. You want roasted NOT charred. If there's any black, trim it off or chuck that particular bone.
When those are all set, load the bones and veg in your stock pot with 3T of whole peppercorns, about a half dozen sprigs of thyme, 5 bay leaves and 3T coarse salt. Add a tray of ice cubes, then cover with cold tap water.
Crank the heat and PAY ATTENTION. When it starts to steam, pull the heat back to medium and track a spoon across the top. Every time you see it bubble, back the heat off a touch and skim it again.
As soon as it steadily starts putting up bubbles every minute or so, you're at the right temp. Hold it there, and track that spoon across the top to pull fat and scum every 30-60 minutes.
After 8-12 hours (your call, but the longer the better) of simmering and skimming, pour everything through a cheese cloth lined strainer into a large container and discard everything in the net. Wash (not rinse, WASH) the first pot, line another strainer with fresh cheesecloth, and repeat as many times as you can stand it. Strain, wash, strain, wash, strain, wash. The more you strain, the better your stock will be. Don't skimp on this part, it may well be the most important.
Portion it out by cups, pints or quarts, depending on how you'll most likely use it. Store what you're not going to immediately use in the freezer. It keeps forever if your appliance is correctly calibrated. Enjoy working from the absolute foundation of serious cooking.
