Hi John, beef stocks are pretty well described in nearly any recipe book. However, this is my take on it. My beef stock calls for beef mince and oxtail. The reason - beef mince is usually made from cheap cuts of meat which are usually more flavoursome. Oxtail is probably the beefiest tasting cut from the cow and is full of gelatin. I also cook my beef stock in a pressure cooker - this is an essential step which produces a much superior stock. When you make beef stock using a normal stock pot, the delicious beef aromas you smell is flavour escaping from the stock! A pressure cooker seals it all in produces a much more flavoursome stock with no flavour loss.
Some traditional stock recipes call for using ham bones or pork, but these IMO dilute the flavour of the stock. Why add these when you could add more beef? I also include a tiny amount of star anise - this is not enough for you to detect but it will boost the flavour of beef (a trick I learnt from Heston).
INGREDIENTS
- 1000gm oxtail, cut into pieces
- 500gm beef mince
- 200gm carrot, rough dice
- 200gm onions, rough dice
- 100gm celery, rough dice
- 1/2 a leek
- bouquet garni - 4 bay leaf, 8 sprigs of thyme, handful of parsley, small bunch of tarragon or chervil
- 1 tbsp black peppercorn
- 1/2 a star anise
- 6L water
METHOD
Spread the mince into a thin layer on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Roast for 45 minutes at 180C or until browned. Turn the mince halfway. Roast the oxtail the same way. Do not allow to burn - if you get any burnt bits, cut it off. Roasting gives you a roast beef flavour and helps deepen the flavour of the stock. Meanwhile, chop all the veggies and add to the water. Bring to a slow simmer. Once the meat is browned to your liking, add it to the stock. Deglaze the pan with water and add to the stock. Continue boiling for a few minutes, skimming the stock. Seal the pressure cooker and bring to full pressure. Make sure the PC does not vent. This is very important - a PC which vents will allow flavour molecules to escape and allow the contents to boil, which will extract off flavours and spoil the clarity of your stock. Once two hours is up, turn off the heat and allow the pressure to dissipate naturally. Strain the stock, pressing on the solids to extract as much as possible. Once the stock is cool, ladle off the oil that has risen to the top.