Favourite Veal Stock
Submitted by ChefKittah
Veal stock built from roasted bones, mirepoix, leek, and tomato, simmered low for hours into a deep, gelatinous foundation. The classical brown stock that anchors French sauces and braises.
YIELD
48 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
9 hrsREADY
9½ hrsThis is a brown veal stock done the classical way, and it’s the foundation every serious sauce, gravy, and braise rests on. Roasting the bones at 450°F (230°C) for 35 minutes before adding vegetables is what separates this from a pale boiled stock. That deep mahogany roast develops Maillard flavors you can’t fake on the stovetop.
Deglazing the roasting pan is the step most home cooks skip and shouldn’t. Two cups of cold water boiled in the pan with all those caramelized bits scraped up is liquid gold, and dumping it into the stockpot adds genuine depth.
A long, slow simmer of 6 to 8 hours lets the collagen in the bones break down into the gelatin that gives veal stock its signature silky body. Skim regularly. The froth that rises in the first hour is impurities you don’t want in the finished stock.
Peppercorns go in only for the final 15 minutes. Steeping them too long turns the stock harsh and acrid.
Chef Tips
- Use the most meaty bones you can get. Bare bones give you gelatin but no flavor.
- Don’t peel the onions or garlic. The skins add color and a deeper flavor.
- Never let the pot boil hard. A bare simmer keeps the stock crystal clear; a rolling boil emulsifies fat and turns it cloudy.
- Strain twice through cheesecloth for a glassy, restaurant-quality finish.
Variations
- Add a splash of dry red wine after deglazing for a richer, slightly fruitier base.
- Substitute meaty veal bones with a combination of veal meat and beef bones (per the original note).
- Reduce the strained stock by half for a glace de viande that freezes well in ice cube trays.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 450℉ (230℃).
Put the oil in a roasting pan and heat briefly in the oven. Add the bones to the oil in the pan, toss to coat and roast for 35 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, celery, leek, garlic and parsley, tossing them all to coat with fat. Roast 30 minutes longer.
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the bones and vegetables to a clean stockpot. Drain off as much of the fat as possible.
Place the roasting pan over medium-high heat, using 2 burners if necessary, and add 2 cups of cold water and boil briefly. Scrape up all of the browned bits into the water. Transfer the liquid to the stock pot and add enough cold water to cover.
Bring slowly to a boil, skimming off all of the froth that forms. Lower the heat and add tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves, cloves and salt. Simmer uncovered for 6 to 8 hours adding water as necessary just to cover the ingredients. Skim whenever necessary.
Add peppercorns for the last 15 minutes of the simmering. Strain the “soup” into a large bowl through a colander lined with a double layer of dampened cheesecloth. Gently press the solids to extract all of the liquid, and discard the solids. Pour the stock into containers for storage and label and date them.
The stock will keep for up to 3 days in a refrigerator, and up to 6 months in a freezer.
Note:
You can substitute meaty veal bones for a combination of veal meat and regular beef bones.
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