Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 7 hrs
Total: 7 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 7 cups
Homemade beef stock is easy to make with roasted beef bones and trimmings, along with vegetables, water, and herbs. Although it takes several hours for the stock to simmer to perfection, the hands-on preparation time is under 30 minutes, meaning that without much effort you will have a rich beef stock to use for a variety of recipes.
Homemade beef stock or broth is a good reason to keep the meat trimmings from roasts and steaks. Use a variety of beef bones, such as neck bones, shanks, ribs, etc., along with some beef itself. For this recipe, you’ll need a roasting pan and a stockpot large enough to accommodate the bones and vegetables, and a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth for straining the final stock.
“Beef bones were on sale so I made a batch of Rich Beef Stock. Roasting the bones on the front end of the recipe deepened the color of the stock. I simmered for 6 hours to extract flavor from the bones and meat and am delighted to freeze 7 cups of stock for later use.” —Mary Jo Romano
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
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5 to 6 pounds beef bones and trimmings
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2 medium onions, peeled, quartered
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2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
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2 stalks celery, with leaves, cut into 2-inch pieces
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 tablespoon tomato paste
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3 1/2 quarts water, divided
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1 large bay leaf, or 2 small bay leaves
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3 to 4 sprigs fresh parsley
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1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 to 2 sprigs fresh thyme
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1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Trim larger pieces of beef from the bones and cut into 1-inch pieces. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 F.
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Put the bones and beef pieces in an extra-large roasting pan. Roast, turning a few times so the beef browns evenly, about 40 minutes.
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Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pan. Stir in the oil into the pan being sure to coat mixture.
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Roast for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours more, turning a few times so the mixture roasts evenly.
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Transfer the beef and vegetables to a large stockpot and set aside.
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Pour off any excess grease from the roasting pan and place over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture darkens, about 2 minutes.
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Add 2 cups of the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the the heat to low and simmer, scraping the brown bits from the bottom and sides of the pan.
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Add the tomato paste mixture to the stockpot, along with the remaining 3 quarts of water. If the liquid doesn't quite cover the bones, add a little more water.
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Add the bay leaf, parsley, thyme, and peppercorns.
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Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim off any foamy scum from the top.
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Reduce the heat to a simmer, partially cover, and simmer for 4 to 6 hours, or until the flavors become rich and concentrated.
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Strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer into a large bowl. Discard the solids. Let the liquid come to room-temperature before covering and transferring to the refrigerator.
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When the fats solidify, skim from the surface and discard.
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Ladle into 1-, 2-, or 4-cup freezer containers or jars, leaving about an inch of headspace. Refrigerate and use within four days or freeze for up to three months.
Tips
- The stock will expand as it freezes, so if using glass jars, it’s especially important to leave plenty of headspace.
- To be safe, leave the tops resting on the jars until the stock is frozen, then screw them on, but not too tight.
- Keep food storage bags in the freezer, one for meat scraps and one for vegetable trimmings so you can make both beef and vegetable broth easily at home.
How to Store and Freeze
- Beef stock can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- To freeze beef stock, place in an airtight freezer-safe container, glass jar, or bag—leaving enough room for expansion—and freeze for up to three months.
Beef Stock vs. Beef Broth
Although beef stock and beef broth can be used interchangeably in recipes, there is a difference between them. And that is…bones. Stock is always cooked with bones, while broth is not. Broth is typically cooked with meat in it (except for vegetable broth) and does not necessarily have bones included.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 8 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 1088 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 80g | 103% |
| Saturated Fat 35g | 173% |
| Cholesterol 340mg | 113% |
| Sodium 276mg | 12% |
| Total Carbohydrate 5g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 4% |
| Total Sugars 2g | |
| Protein 87g | |
| Vitamin C 5mg | 27% |
| Calcium 79mg | 6% |
| Iron 10mg | 53% |
| Potassium 953mg | 20% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
