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Beef Stock
5 from 10 votes

Beef Stock

Enrich the flavor in your favorite recipes with homemade beef stock. While the simmering time is long, the stock is easy to make, budget-friendly, and a true game changer when it comes to flavor!

Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
10 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 16 cups
Calories: 37 kcal
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds beef bones see below, for stock; or a combination of knucklebones, oxtails, or thick beef or veal bones with marrow
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large carrot cut into 3-inch pieces
  • 3 ribs celery cut into 3-inch pieces, use leaves too
  • 2 medium yellow onion cut in half
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 2 dry bay leaf
  • 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
  • 15 peppercorns
  • 10 prigs thyme fresh
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • water approximately 8 quarts but use enough to fill above all ingredients

Instructions

Roast the bones
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 425f and set the rack on the middle level. Place the beef bones on a baking sheet (use two if overcrowded) and drizzle the olive oil on the bones. Using your hands coat the bones with the oil.
  2. Roast the beef bones for 1 hour, turning the bones at the halfway point.
  3. Once the bones are roasted, place them into a 16-quart or larger stockpot.
Deglaze the roasting trays
  1. Pour off the fat from the sheet pan.
  2. Place the empty beef roasting sheet pan on the stovetop and turn the heat to medium. Add 3/4 cup of water to the pan and scrape all of the brown bits off the pans with a flat wooden spoon or a spatula. Pour all of the liquid from both pans into the pot.
Simmer the stock
  1. Add all of the remaining ingredients into the pot and add enough water to cover all of the ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  2. Once boiling skim the scum from the top with a large flat spoon or ladle. Turn the heat down to a very low level where the stock is very gently simmering.
  3. Simmer for 9-10 hours, skimming the scum every 45-60 minutes.
Straining the stock
  1. After 9-10 hours the stock will have reduced substantially. Turn off the heat and strain the stock. Place a sieve or colander over an empty pot and line it with cheesecloth or coffee filters.
  2. First, gently remove most of the bones and vegetables from the pot then pour or ladle the stock (a small pot with a long handle works well as a big ladle) into the cheesecloth-lined strainer.
  3. You should be left with approximately 4 quarts of stock. If you have substantially more than that simply reduce the stock in a pot before storing.
  4. Let the stock cool then divide into storage containers. After refrigerating or freezing the solidified fat will be at the top of each container, protecting the flavor of the stock. The fat can be saved for another use or easily removed and discarded right before using. See below for storage notes.

Notes

  • This recipe makes approximately 4 quarts of beef stock.  If you have substantially more than that, the stock will be too weak.  Pour the stock into a clean pot and reduce until down to 4 quarts before storing.
  • Beef neck, shin, oxtail, ribs, and knuckle all work well for beef stock.  You can use a variety of bones or any of these and achieve great results.
  • We recommend no salt in stocks.  Salt accordingly, when using stocks to make your desired recipe.
  • Storing in smaller containers is recommended. 1-quart containers are how we typically store stock. But smaller amounts can be stored in ice cube trays or other smaller containers.
  • Stock turns to jelly in the fridge? That is perfectly normal, and good. It means you extracted the gelatin from the beef bones.
  • The stock can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
  • It's best to leave the fat cap during storage, since it provides a protective seal at the top of the container which locks in the flavor. Simply remove the fat cap upon use, or save the fat for another use.

Nutrition Information

Calories 37kcal (2%) Carbohydrates 2.9g (1%) Protein 4.7g (9%) Fat 0.2g (0%) Saturated Fat 0.1g (1%) Potassium 444mg (9%) Sugar 1.3g (3%) Calcium 19mg (2%) Iron 0.7mg (4%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16 cups

Amount Per Serving

Calories 37

% Daily Value*

Calories 37kcal 2%
Carbohydrates 2.9g 1%
Protein 4.7g 9%
Fat 0.2g 0%
Saturated Fat 0.1g 1%
Potassium 444mg 9%
Sugar 1.3g 3%
Calcium 19mg 2%
Iron 0.7mg 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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