Beef Broth
Ingredients:
2 lb. meaty beef bones, such as shank, cut into 3 inch pieces or short ribs
2 lbs. beef bones, such as knuckle, cracked
1 cup cut up carrots
2 celery stalks with leaves, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 small onions, quartered
10 cups water
8 oz can (1 cup) tomatoes, undrained, cut up
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. thyme leaves
5 peppercorns
2 fresh parsley sprigs
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 bay leaf
3/4 tsp. salt
Directions:
Heat oven to 450. Place all bones in large roasting pan. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
Add carrots, celery and onions. Bake, turning bones and vegetables occasionally,
an additional 45 to 60 minutes or until bones are very deep brown (not charred).
Transfer ingredients from roasting pan to 8-quart sauce pot or two 5-quart Dutch
ovens. Discard fat in roasting pan. Add 2 cups of the water to roasting pan; heat
and scrape to loosen any browned meat drippings. Pour hot liquid and remaining water
over bones and vegetables in sauce pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer partially
covered 30 minutes. Skim off any scum that rises to surface. Add remaining ingredients
except 3/4 tsp. salt; simmer partially covered an additional 6 hours. remove bones;
strain broth. Stir in 3/4 tsp. salt. cool uncovered in refrigerator. Cover and store
in refrigerator or freezer. Skim fat from broth before using in recipe. Makes 7 cups.
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Keys to Successful Broth:
-No need to peel or trim vegetables; wash thoroughly and cut into medium-sized pieces.
-Place ingredients in cold water to obtain optimum flavor from meats and vegetables
as they cook.
-Simmer rather than boil mixture; bubbles should form slowly and burst before reaching
the surface.
-Partially cover stockpot or Dutch oven with lid during cooking to help maintain
proper simmering temperature, retain vitamins and prevent a cloudy appearance.
-Periodically remove yellowish scum which rises to the surface during the first 15
to 30 minutes of cooking. When it becomes white in color no further skimming is required.
-Avoid over-seasoning broths, especially with salt, as many flavors sharpen with
storage.
-To strain broth when cooking is completed, ladle hot liquid into strainer or cloth-lined
colander. Use cheesecloth or clean dishcloth; do not use terry-cloth fabric.
-Strained broth will still contain small particles which will make it appear cloudy.
For crystal-clear broth, strained broth can be clarified. To clarify, combine 1/4
cup water with 1 egg white and 1 eggshell, crushed. Stir into hot strained broth.
Bring to a boil. remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes Strain broth through cheesecloth
again. Discard egg.
-Ladle strained, hot broth into storage containers and refrigerate uncovered for
fastest-possible cooling.
-Solidified fat can be lifted from top of broth after thorough cooling. However,
since fat acts to seal in flavor, you may choose to do this step just prior to use.
-To store cooled broth, cover storage containers tightly. Refrigerate up to two days
or freeze up to six months.
