Marscafe Home      CHEF MARS'- THE BASICS OF STOCKS
   A RECIPE FOR BROWN STOCK


A RECIPE FOR: ORDINARY BROWN STOCK
Also know as "Le Fond Brun", "Estouffade", or Beef Stock.

Brown stock comes from browned meats, bones and vegetables. You must be very careful to thoroughly brown the meats, bones and vegetables evenly and be careful to not over brown, or burn them or your stock will take on a bitter taste. The difference between well browned and burned is only a few minutes of inattentiveness.

Brown Veal Stock is prepared in the same way as this ordinary brown stock except you substitute veal shoulder and veal bones for beef meat and bones. To make one gallon of beef, veal, game or poultry stock use a ratio of 8 pounds of bones and meat, 6 quarts of water, 1 pound of mirepoix such as onions, turnips, leeks, shallots, garlic, carrots, celery and a sachet or bouquet garni. For a more economical but still good stock use 4 pounds of bones and meat to 5 quarts of water and 1 pound of mirepoix such as onions, turnips, leeks, shallots, garlic, carrots, celery and a sachet or bouquet garni.

QUANT.UNITINGREDIENTPREPARATION
17 lbs.beef bones
  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. Rinse and then blanch the beef and veal bones.
  3. Wash, dry and clean the leeks, carrots and celery and then coarsely chop.
  4. Slice the onion into thick slices, leaving the skin on.
  5. Slice the garlic head in half, leaving the skin on.
  6. Roast the bones and meat trimmings in the preheated oven. Brown thoroughly.... monitor the browning process frequently, stir regularly. This should take about 15 minutes..be sure you do not scorch them.
  7. Remove the bones to the stock pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Be sure to skim the surface frequently and discard the fat and impurities that come to the surface and form the "scum".
  8. Pour off the grease from the roasting pan and deglaze the pan with the white wine and pour into the now simmering stock pot.
  9. Lightly saute the mirepoix (garlic, celery, onions, leeks and carrots) in a bit of the removed fat, add the tomato paste and incorporate well and then brown in the oven.
  10. When well browned add to the stock pot.
  11. Make a bouquet garni by placing the parley, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth, then tie with a piece of kitchen twine and add to the stock pot.
  12. Simmer gently for 8 hours, uncovered. replenish with cold water if the water level drops below the top/surface level of the bones and continually remove any grease or scum from the surface.
  13. When the stock is reduced and the flavor is well developed, strain it carefully through a coarse sieve and then a fine one (chinois) or through cheesecloth.
  14. Once passed you can reduce the stock separately to your desired consistency and taste or.......
  15. Add salt to taste if desired and ........
  16. Cool correctly, identify, label and date, cover and refrigerate.
8lbs.veal knuckle bones
15lbs.lean beef
2lbcarrots
2lbonions
1lbchopped leeks
(green portion only)
1.5lbcelery
1headgarlic
1.25lbs.tomato paste
1bottledry white wine
6eachbay leaves
1/2bunchfresh parsley
1/4bunchfresh thyme
1tbs.black peppercorns
-to tastesalt
NOTE: Yield is 5 gallons
TIPS:
======

Bones:
The best bones to use come from young animals because they contain more gelatin and the marrow contains more flavoring agents. A stock made with these bones will be thicker due to higher natural collagen content and have a more distinctive character due to increased flavor. The bones are best cut into 4-5 inch lengths and split to allow more marrow surface area to be exposed.

For Beef or Veal Stock use neck, front shank, shin, femur or knuckle bones, (the knuckle is very high in natural gelatin content). Chicken carcasses and veal bones will produce an excellent white stock.

Lean trimmings:
lean trimmings, like brisket or shin meat cut into cubes

Simmer gently:
the more slowly the stock cooks the clearer the stock will be