Homemade Broths/Stocks
Broths and stocks are SUPER easy to make...though I admit that I never bothered trying to make my own until my late twenties. They're also much better for you (more vitamins/minerals, no added junk as a preservative...and you can season them to your own liking)...so next time you're cooking something up, collect/keep the bones and save them to make a future broth/stock.
NOTE: When making broths/stocks, I like to put a little piece of masking tape stating the type of broth, the amount in the container, and the date it was made on the container lid before storing in the fridge/freezer. I use masking tape because it sticks fairly well even when frozen and is easily removed once the container has been used.
Chicken Broth
I like to start making my chicken broth on a day when I've already boiled a whole chicken in a pot of water (whole chicken covered with water and boiled for 2 hours until cooked through). I then take that semi-brothy goodness and add to it other chicken bones that I've saved from past meals (generally the bones left over from roasting a whole chicken...or chicken thigh bones saved after de-boning some thighs for stir fry dishes, etc. I wait for a gallon sized ziploc to be full of bones in my freezer before making the broth). I then add all those bones into the pot, add a few vegetables if I desire to (usually carrots and celery), cover with more liquid (if needed; you want everything to be submerged), and barely simmer them for an additional 2-4 hours (medium-low heat) until it achieves the coloring you desire (weaker broth will be lighter colored, richer broth will be darker). You can add salt or other seasonings if you like...but I prefer to save this for whenever I decide to use them as the seasonings depend on what I'm making. When done to your desire, strain using a fine mesh strainer, allow to cool (so you can strain the fat off), and store in airtight containers. You can store them in the fridge for about a week...or in the freezer for several months. Generally, for me, one stockpot yields about 8-10 cups of homemade chicken broth.
Pork Stock
Pork stock seems to be mostly used in Asian and Spanish dishes...though it can be used in any dish that contains pork. Most pork recipes in America use chicken or beef broth instead...but if you've got the bones to make pork broth, I see no reason to let them go to waste...especially since the stock/broth made will impart its own delicious flavor into the dish.
For pork stock, I generally save bones from the roasts I've made...though occasionally I also trim a roast from the bone for pork pieces (trimming it yourself is generally cheaper) and have those uncooked bones as well. I usually make the stock when a gallon ziploc bag is full of bones in the freezer. If any of the bones weren't previously cooked, place them in a roasting pan and roast in a 350F oven for about 20-30 minutes until browned around. Then, place the bones in a stock pot and cover with water...with the water ending about 1 inch above the bones. Add in a splash of apple cider vinegar. This will help to draw the marrow from the bones. Add in carrots, celery, and whatever other veggies you want for flavor, if desired. Also, add some water into the pan you roasted the bones in (heating the pan atop a stove burner if needed) and scrape the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan to add to the stock. Bring slowly to a boil, then reduce the heat so that it's barely simmering. Allow to simmer for 4-6 hours. Strain using a fine mesh strainer, allow to cool (again to remove the fat), and store in an airtight container same as the chicken broth. A small stock pot (I didn't have a whole bunch of bones last time I did this; maybe 2 lbs. worth) made about 6-7 cups of homemade stock.
Beef Stock and Beef Tallow
I very rarely buy bone-in beef (besides steaks), so I generally have to buy "marrow bones" from the grocery store to make beef stock. I've found these both at my local grocery store and also in a Whole Foods Market. In the local grocery store, they were generally in the section with the fresh cut meats. In the Whole Foods store, they were always in a freezer section next to the fresh meats. If you have any doubts about where you can find them in your local/preferred store, feel free to ask an employee.
The beef stock is made similarly to the pork stock. You'll need to roast the bones (I usually do about 4 lbs. worth) first to open up the flavors and get the marrow softening (350F oven for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally). Then you will place them in a stockpot, cover them with water (water ending 1-2 inches from the highest bone...which is generally about 3 quarts worth of water) and add a splash of cider vinegar and whatever veggies you like (carrots, celery, onions, etc.). Also, add some water into the pan you roasted the bones in (heating the pan atop a stove burner if needed) and scrape the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan to add to the stock. Simmer gently for at least 12 hours...and as many as 72 hours...adding more water as needed. Strain using a fine mesh strainer, drain the fat (and for my primal friends reading this, KEEP THE FAT. It's that miraculous beef tallow you've likely been reading about...and you can re-use it as a cooking oil; it's the bright yellow stuff in the picture above), and store in the same manner as the other broth/stocks above. I like to store the beef tallow in an old glass ghee container. Also, for the beef tallow, you might need to purify it by placing it in a saucepan and leaving it until it stops popping/crackling (it will last longer if you do this) and then straining it into a container. Using 4 lbs. of bones in a large soup pot cooked for 16 hours yielded about 10 cups of stock, adding about 3-4 more cups of water halfway through the 16 hour simmer...and about 1 cup of tallow.
THAT'S IT! Easy peasy homemade stocks. You can discard the bones or (for the pork and beef bones, NOT the chicken bones) give them to your dog if you have one. They will LOVE you for it.
For the difference between broths and stocks, visit here: http://mmmthatsgood.blogspot.com/2008/05/stock-vs-broth.html
or here: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-stock-vs-71199
Personally, I use broths/stocks interchangeably in recipes with no problems.
NOTE: When making broths/stocks, I like to put a little piece of masking tape stating the type of broth, the amount in the container, and the date it was made on the container lid before storing in the fridge/freezer. I use masking tape because it sticks fairly well even when frozen and is easily removed once the container has been used.
Chicken Broth
I like to start making my chicken broth on a day when I've already boiled a whole chicken in a pot of water (whole chicken covered with water and boiled for 2 hours until cooked through). I then take that semi-brothy goodness and add to it other chicken bones that I've saved from past meals (generally the bones left over from roasting a whole chicken...or chicken thigh bones saved after de-boning some thighs for stir fry dishes, etc. I wait for a gallon sized ziploc to be full of bones in my freezer before making the broth). I then add all those bones into the pot, add a few vegetables if I desire to (usually carrots and celery), cover with more liquid (if needed; you want everything to be submerged), and barely simmer them for an additional 2-4 hours (medium-low heat) until it achieves the coloring you desire (weaker broth will be lighter colored, richer broth will be darker). You can add salt or other seasonings if you like...but I prefer to save this for whenever I decide to use them as the seasonings depend on what I'm making. When done to your desire, strain using a fine mesh strainer, allow to cool (so you can strain the fat off), and store in airtight containers. You can store them in the fridge for about a week...or in the freezer for several months. Generally, for me, one stockpot yields about 8-10 cups of homemade chicken broth.
Pork Stock
Pork stock seems to be mostly used in Asian and Spanish dishes...though it can be used in any dish that contains pork. Most pork recipes in America use chicken or beef broth instead...but if you've got the bones to make pork broth, I see no reason to let them go to waste...especially since the stock/broth made will impart its own delicious flavor into the dish.
For pork stock, I generally save bones from the roasts I've made...though occasionally I also trim a roast from the bone for pork pieces (trimming it yourself is generally cheaper) and have those uncooked bones as well. I usually make the stock when a gallon ziploc bag is full of bones in the freezer. If any of the bones weren't previously cooked, place them in a roasting pan and roast in a 350F oven for about 20-30 minutes until browned around. Then, place the bones in a stock pot and cover with water...with the water ending about 1 inch above the bones. Add in a splash of apple cider vinegar. This will help to draw the marrow from the bones. Add in carrots, celery, and whatever other veggies you want for flavor, if desired. Also, add some water into the pan you roasted the bones in (heating the pan atop a stove burner if needed) and scrape the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan to add to the stock. Bring slowly to a boil, then reduce the heat so that it's barely simmering. Allow to simmer for 4-6 hours. Strain using a fine mesh strainer, allow to cool (again to remove the fat), and store in an airtight container same as the chicken broth. A small stock pot (I didn't have a whole bunch of bones last time I did this; maybe 2 lbs. worth) made about 6-7 cups of homemade stock.
Beef Stock and Beef Tallow
I very rarely buy bone-in beef (besides steaks), so I generally have to buy "marrow bones" from the grocery store to make beef stock. I've found these both at my local grocery store and also in a Whole Foods Market. In the local grocery store, they were generally in the section with the fresh cut meats. In the Whole Foods store, they were always in a freezer section next to the fresh meats. If you have any doubts about where you can find them in your local/preferred store, feel free to ask an employee.
The beef stock is made similarly to the pork stock. You'll need to roast the bones (I usually do about 4 lbs. worth) first to open up the flavors and get the marrow softening (350F oven for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally). Then you will place them in a stockpot, cover them with water (water ending 1-2 inches from the highest bone...which is generally about 3 quarts worth of water) and add a splash of cider vinegar and whatever veggies you like (carrots, celery, onions, etc.). Also, add some water into the pan you roasted the bones in (heating the pan atop a stove burner if needed) and scrape the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan to add to the stock. Simmer gently for at least 12 hours...and as many as 72 hours...adding more water as needed. Strain using a fine mesh strainer, drain the fat (and for my primal friends reading this, KEEP THE FAT. It's that miraculous beef tallow you've likely been reading about...and you can re-use it as a cooking oil; it's the bright yellow stuff in the picture above), and store in the same manner as the other broth/stocks above. I like to store the beef tallow in an old glass ghee container. Also, for the beef tallow, you might need to purify it by placing it in a saucepan and leaving it until it stops popping/crackling (it will last longer if you do this) and then straining it into a container. Using 4 lbs. of bones in a large soup pot cooked for 16 hours yielded about 10 cups of stock, adding about 3-4 more cups of water halfway through the 16 hour simmer...and about 1 cup of tallow.
THAT'S IT! Easy peasy homemade stocks. You can discard the bones or (for the pork and beef bones, NOT the chicken bones) give them to your dog if you have one. They will LOVE you for it.
For the difference between broths and stocks, visit here: http://mmmthatsgood.blogspot.com/2008/05/stock-vs-broth.html
or here: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-stock-vs-71199
Personally, I use broths/stocks interchangeably in recipes with no problems.
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