Brown Veal Stock
Restaurant Quality Veal Stock
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 7 pounds veal bones cut into 2 or 3-inch pieces
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 cup carrot chopped
- 2 cups onion chopped
- 1 cup red wine for deglazing (substitute water)
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- 4 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs thyme
- cold water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Spread the bones in a roasting pan in a single layer and roast for about 30 minutes, turning once, until well browned.
- Remove from the oven and paint a thin layer of tomato paste over the bones — this deepens the color and flavor of the finished stock.
- Pile the vegetables on top of the bones and roast another 15–20 minutes, until they caramelize.
- Transfer the bones and vegetables to a stockpot.
- Deglaze the roasting pan with the wine (or water), scraping up the browned bits, and pour it into the stockpot.
- Add the peppercorns, bay leaves, and thyme. Cover the bones with cold water — about 5 to 6 quarts for 7 pounds of bones, or enough to cover them by roughly an inch
- Over medium heat, bring the pot slowly up to a bare simmer. Don't let it boil.
- Adjust the heat to hold a gentle bubble, and skim off any foam every 30 minutes.
- Let the stock simmer for at least 4 hours, up to 12 if you have the time. Top off with more water if it's evaporating faster than it should.
- When it's done, remove and discard the bones. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, or a colander lined with three or four layers of cheesecloth, for a clear stock.
- Chill quickly — portion it into smaller containers first, since smaller volumes cool faster and more safely than one large pot. Refrigerate, then skim off the solidified fat from the top and discard.