Basic Beef Stock

Total Time: 5 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 5 hrs

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 lbs beef shanks
• 2 lbs short beef ribs
• 14 cups water, divided
• 2 large yellow onions, quartered
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 large ripe tomato, cored and coarsely chopped
• 6 whole garlic cloves
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 8 sprigs parsley
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
• 2 arrange the beef shanks and short ribs in a single layer in an ungreased large shallow roasting pan.
• 3 roast, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until nicely browned.
• 4 transfer the shanks and ribs to a stockpot.
• 5 pour off all the fat from the roasting pan.
• 6 add 2 cups of the water to the pan and swirl it around, scraping any browned bits of meat or juices.
• 7 add to the stockpot along with the remaining water.
• 8 bring the water to a boil, uncovered, over high heat, skimming off any scum.
• 9 add the onions, carrots, tomato, garlic cloves, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, and salt; partially cover and simmer for 3 hours, occasionally skimming off the scum.
• 10 remove the short ribs and save to use on another day.
• 11 continue simmering the stock, partially covered, 1 hour longer.
• 12 pour all through a large colander or sieve set over a very large heatproof bowl.
• 13 save the shank meat for soup or another use.
• 14 discard the other solids.
• 15 let the stock cool; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• 16 in the morning, discard the fat that has solidified on top.
• 17 ladle stock into ice cube trays.
• 18 freeze; place in freezer bags for future use.