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Let’s get to it, clock’s tickin’!

Stock Edition

I love making stock — I love how easy it is, how versatile of a cooking ingredient it is, and I love having it around when the family isn’t feeling well. We’re coming off a few weeks of flu in our house, so I’m feeling particularly appreciative of my freezer stash of stock.

It’s important to understand that homemade stock is so much better than your typical store-bought stuff. The important difference is gelatin. Gelatin in stock comes from the collagen from the animal bones and meat, and that gelatin creates a richness to your stock. The richness becomes very important when you use stock to make soups, stews or sauces.

If you don’t have the time or interest in making your own stock, you do have a few options. First, you can try to replicate that richness a bit with boxed stock if you add some powdered gelatin to it. You can sprinkle a few packs in the stock and let it sit a bit before using. Alternatively, you can use a frozen store-bought stock like this edition’s sponsor, Brodo. Brodo is undoubtedly a step up from your boxed stock, made from real bones and rich in the gelatin you’re looking for (but I think you can probably do even better yourself if you’re inclined, not to undermine our dear sponsor…).

If you are up for the joy of stock making, here’s how I approach it. I’ll typically make either chicken or beef stock.

For chicken stock:

• I’ll use a combination of chicken wings (very rich in collagen) and any chicken bones I may have saved/frozen. I use about 1 to 2 lbs of bones per quart of water.

• If I want a lighter chicken stock, I won’t roast the bones. If I want a darker, richer chicken stock (which I often do), I’ll roast the bones first.

• To roast, I’ll give the bones a light coating of oil, throw them on a sheet pan, and put them in the oven at 425 degrees for up to 45 minutes or an hour, or until the bones become nice and brown. You can’t really overcook the bones, but you can burn them. So keep an eye out.

• Once brown (or raw if I’m not roasting), I’ll throw the bones along with some aromatics into a stock pot and cover with cool water. For aromatics, I use what’s around or what I happened to grab at the market. Any or all of the following work great: onion, garlic, leek, celery, carrot, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, peppercorns. Or anything else you have laying around that you think might work! I keep my aromatics in big chunks; some say you get more flavor if you cut them small, but I don’t find it’s worth the trouble.

• Bring the whole pot up to a boil over high heat and then reduce to a gentle simmer. Let the stock cook at that very gentle simmer for a 3 or more hours. Your goal isn’t to reduce the stock, but rather allow the flavors to extract. If you find it reducing, add some water and put a top on the pot.

• Once it’s done, strain it all, let it cool and then store it. More on storing below!

For beef stock, I basically do the same exact thing, except I always tend to roast the bones. I buy beef bones from my butcher, and I roast them by slathering them in a healthy dousing of tomato paste and then roast in a hot 425 degree oven until well-browned all over. I’ll also roast an onion or two with them. From there, I do pretty much the same thing as with my chicken stock.

Storing: If you’re using within a day or two, you can store stock in the fridge. Beyond that, stock is great for the freezer. You can store stock just in freezer bags or plastic containers, but I love my 1-cup ice cube trays for stock. With large ice cube trays, you can portion out cubes of stock that match your needs (I’ve found 1-cup is most useful for me). After freezing the cubes, I put them in a plastic bag, and then just grab one or two from the freezer whenever I need it.

A note on salt: You’ll see I didn’t really mention salting in my directions. The reason is that I don’t really use salt when making my stocks. You can use a little bit, but you need to be careful. If you were to salt the stock to taste, and then you end up reducing the stock for a pan sauce, for instance, you’d end up with a very salty sauce. To avoid this, use minimal salt when you’re making the stock and then just remember to salt your stock appropriately based on your use.

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Some Recipe Inspiration

If you have stock around, you’re going to figure out ways to use it. I’m always surprised at how quickly it disappears from my freezer. But here’s some recipe inspiration:

• Pan sauces are made so much better with your homemade stock. This Chicken Breast with White Wine Pan Sauce and Creme Fraiche is a great example — this dish will feel like real restaurant cooking at home, without a ton of work.

• Braised meat is often enhanced with a rich, flavorful braising liquid. I highly recommend homemade stock as the base. Try it with these Tangy Braised Short Ribs.

• Of course, soups and stews are often mostly some sort of stock. Put your new chicken stock to the test with this Spanish Pea Soup with Crispy Ham.

Let us know what you tried (just reply)! More soon.

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