Making stock from beef bones

Angelina-M

Hi everyone

I always make chicken stock with the chicken bones and a few carrots/onions etc, however i'd like to try doing a beef stock and wondered how you all go about it?

Do you roast the bones first or just whack them in the slow cooker.... and where do you buy them from, is it just certain bones you can use or doesnt that matter?

I dont have a butcher so im thinking of asking the butcher in Morrisons if I could buy a few bones?

I want to reduce the stock down and freeze it in ice cube trays and pull a couple out for gravy etc, is this what other ppl do?

Sorry for the daft questions, I just want to make the best food ever!

comping_cat

I would just whack the bones in the SC, im sure you could use any bones (ive never bought bones specially, but do use what ever carcus (sp) is left over from the Sunday roast) you could always ask the butcher to be sure.
I often freeze left over stock in ice cube trays (or small containers) like you said, handy to just take a couple of cubes for the gravy!!!!

Angelina-M

Thanks for that. I never really buy joints with bones in so i'll ask the butcher at the supermarket if he can give me some and i'll roast them and then boil them for stock.

I make a good chicken stock so im looking forward to trying this.

Avoriaz

I'm up late watching the Test match so I read that as "Making socks from beef bones".

Sunray_3

I love beefbone stock. The neck makes great stock.

[Deleted User]

Hi ,
I just had a thought ,I usually get the bone from my DD when she has had leg of lamb.This week I got as much off as I could, and managed to make five small cottage pies -single portions- that I made and put in the freezer .I wonder if I could uses the bone in the SC to make a lamb stock.has anyone else tried this as there were still bits left on there that I couldn't /didn't manage to remove and it seemed such a waste to just bin it. I usually go to Sunday dinner anyway at her house, and although she has two dogs they are not keen on bones ,hence the reason that I took it home.

apprentice_tycoon

I'd roast the bones with some onion skins to give a deep colour

dannahaz

Hi, lamb bones, beef bones... they all make good stock.

Traditionally the stock is made from bones left from the roast. You can make stock from uncooked bones, but it won't give you quite the flavour (or colour) that you might expect.

My (usually excellent) "Good Housekeeping Cook Book" says in its recipe for Brown Stock: "To give flavour and colour, brown the bones and meat in the oven (exact temperature not important) before using them".

Other than that, the method is the same for cooked bones as uncooked bones. Water, onions, celery, carrots, salt, peppercorns, assorted herbs if you wish (thyme, bayleaf, mace etc). Put everything in pan, cover with water, bring to simmer, simmer fir 6 hours. Strain. Leave to get cold then skim off fat.

Hope that helps

Debt_Free_Chick

I'm another one that roasts raw bones to make stock. It "caramelises" and concentrates the flavour giving a more robust stock.

Remember that when making stock you want a steady, gentle simmer not a full rolling boil (as is often suggested). Bring the stock to the boil, but then turn the heat down low. You should see the bubbles bearly breaking the surface of the liquid. A SC would be ideal but a low oven would also work.

Angelina-M

yes I do my chicken stock in the slow cooker. Just set it off in the morning and leave it all day for a lovely thick gelly like stock.

I darent ask the butcher in Morrisons the other day as he looked very busy but i'll try again when its less busy.

tawnyowls

Bones make great stock. When you go to Morrison's, ask if they have any bones (rather than asking to buy them) - my butcher (but he's not a supermarket butcher) gives them to me for nothing (and in fact, the first time I asked, he commented how nice it was to see a younger person wanting to use them for cooking), so you might be lucky!