Have you ever been to a fabulous restaurant and had a bowl of French Onion Soup that knocked your socks off?
How do they do this? Good stock. The base of any superb and memorable soup or gravy is a rich stock.
The Best Beef Stock recipe made with herbs and vegetables. Freezer friendly and full of flavor, you’ll never buy store bought again!
If there is nothing else you take from this post, take this: not all stock is created equal. Store bought stock, the kind you get in a cardboard box, will never have the same robust flavor as homemade.
I get it, it takes a lot of time to create a flavorful stock, it is so much easier to pick up a box and add a little Kitchen Bouquet to “beef” it up.
If only once, try making your own. You will forever respect the process. Another key to this process is the quality of ingredients.
The more meat and bones, the better the flavor. Depending on the meat used, you may not achieve the same dark brown color you would get out of bullion or store bought stock, but have no fear, those generally have color added to produce the finished product.
After you apply your beef stock to the intended recipe, you will never notice the difference in color because you will be blown away by the intense flavor. The texture will also be thicker, even gelatinous when cooled.
Another pro? Stock freezes really well. Take one lazy Sunday and make a triple batch to freeze for later.
If you do decide to freeze, allow space at the top of your container to allow it to expand. You will need a stock pot or large enamel Dutch oven to prepare your stock.
But before you get started, make sure to read my How To Make Stock to ensure yours is the BEST it can be!
Recipe that use beef stock:
The BEST Beef Stock Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds beef bones *
- 2 large yellow onions , peeled and quartered
- 1 cup carrots , roughly chopped
- 3 celery ribs , cut into 4 segments
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 pound beef stew meat * , or scraps left over from other meals using beef cuts
- 1 celery base , the bulb at the end
- 4 cloves garlic , smashed and pealed
- 1 turnip , diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 bunch parsley
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper , coarsely ground
- 1 fresh thyme sprig
- 1 fresh rosemary sprig
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss beef bones, onion, carrot and celery in olive oil. Roast for 1 hour, turning half way.
- Meanwhile, place the stew meat, celery base, garlic, turnip, parsley, bay leaves, salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary in a large stock pot. Add the roasted vegetables and beef bones to the pot, although with any remaining liquid. Pour the red wine into the hot roasting pan to deglaze, loosening all the browned bits. Pour the wine and browned bits into the stock pot.
- Add enough water to cover ingredients, plus two inches.
- Simmer on low heat for 4-7 hours, the longer the better. About 2 hours after cooking, pull out the bones and using a potato nail or the end of a meat thermometer, scoop the marrow out and return to the stock along with the bones. The mixture might not be the deep brown color you are used to, after the mixture sits and fats separate from the broth, it will be less cloudy and more brown.
- The liquid will have reduced by half, if not more. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out all solid ingredients. Line a colander or large sieve with a triple layer of cheesecloth and place over a large bowl, Dutch oven or casserole dish. Strain liquid through the cheese cloth. Discard solids. Cover and place liquid into the refrigerator.
- After liquid has chilled, all of the fat will rise to the top and solidify. Now it can easily be spooned off the top leaving only deep, rich and flavorful beef stock. Now use your beef stock for something fabulous!
- If you've tried this recipe come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings.
Definitely delicious! Second time I’ve tried this!! Smells so good! Can’t wait to use it in French Onion soup!!
Thanks so much for coming back to let us know!
Forever my GO-TO stock recipe! Here are my adjustments/additions and why. I usually double this recipe because if I’m going to spend 12+hrs on something I better get a decent return on the time investment. ADDS: I take a Costco whole brisket (they’re like 12-20 lbs), trim fat (but not all) and then cut into manageable stock-pot sizes pieces (around 4-5 pieces). This is my meat substitute for stew meat. Why? because after the stock is finally done, I take out the brisket pieces, refrigerate until firm, then slice into thin strips. Package these into 1lb storage bags and freeze. Use for BBQ tacos, ramen (made w/ beef stock), Pho…the list goes on & on. Flavor of the meat is incredible. ADJUSTMENTS: I add a good 2 lbs+ of porcini mushrooms to the stock–adds another layer of flavor. When roasting bones, go ahead and throw onions, celery, & carrots to the roasting pan for more flavor (as well as garlic). Step #3: I simmer for at least 9 hrs and don’t pull the bones. Not sure if added time is because I’m at 7,000 ft elevation, but the extra cooking enhances stock even more. After the 9+ hr of simmer, let it sit and cool on the stove until temperature is manageable to pull bones and meat (to refrigerate). This is liquid gold….makes the best risotto, soups, ramen, you name it!
Thanks for this feedback!!!!
1) Could you specify in recipe, the quart quantity needed for stock pot/Dutch oven?
2) Could you specify in recipe whether to simmer covered or uncovered?
3) Could you specify in recipe how long it will keep both refrigerated or frozen?
Thank you so much!
Hi Carin- just saw this and I am so sorry for the delay!
1. It really depends on what you are using, but I would always go larger- mine is 24 quarts (aff).
2. Uncovered so the steam can evaporate and reduce the stock.
3. Refrigerated, I’d say a week or two. Frozen can be for years if it is packaged correctly.
This beef stock was worth the effort. It improved every dish it touched. I have another batch on the stove at the moment. I will keep using this recipe forever.
Thanks so much!
Jessi, thanks for the quick reply. I did put all the liquid into the soup pot after checking with another chef friend. I doubled your recipe. 8 big nest bones meant 2 big soup pots. I simmered it for 8 hours and it is delicious!!! I could drink this all day. But it’ went into a beef bourguinon soup that I entered in a local contest. 1st prize so thank you. It was judged by the head chef at the CIA, St Helena. I am now the holder of the Golden Ladle! 🙂
Awesome job, Robin!
Jessi can, can you please clarify 2 steps. When I finished roasting the veggies and meat there was a cup plus of liquid in the pan. Does that go in the soup? And in step 3 after 2 hours of simmering you say to take the marrow out of the bones. Then what? Both back in the pot? One or the other back in the pot? Can you say why you separate the marrow from the bone. Thank you. I am currently making the stock so I can’t comment yet on the flavor.
Hi Robin, sure and thanks for bringing this to our attention. I’ll update the instructions later tonight.
Yes, all the liquid from the pan goes into the broth for flavor.
remove the marrow and place it into the stock along with the bones. The marrow has a ton of flavor, but since it is inside the bones, it doesn’t all get exposed unless you tease it out. Just don’t let it ever come to a boil! Rule #1 of making homemade stock. I haven’t made this one in a while, excited to see how it goes!
Remember that homemade stock gets gelatinous and won’t be super watery like store bought.
I love to try new dishes. Especially baking.
I am obsessed with this recipe. Made it twice already in the same week.
Wow! Nice and thanks for coming back to let us know! What will you make with all your beef stock?
When you simmer for 4-7 hours, do you have a lid on? cracked? off?
Hi Stacy,
Off, you want it to reduce so the flavors intensify.
Remove marrow 2 hours after cooking or 2 hours into cooking?
Sorry Jennifer, 2 hours into cooking.
I am going to make this, if I cut the recipe in half, should I only simmer for 4 hours?
MIght be a little more than 4- just make sure it reduces by half.
Not quite sure about the turnip measurements as per the recipe…
Hi Patti, thanks for bringing that to our attention, it was supposed to read “1 turnip, cut into 1-inch cubes” but it didn’t convert correctly. It is fixed now!
Que boa dica,
Bjs, Susana
Nota: Ver os passatempos a decorrer no meu blog:
http://tertuliadasusy.blogspot.pt/2014/01/tronco-de-ano-novo-trunk-of-new-year.html
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