Chef Ben Says: Stock is King

Winter is coming... Oh wait, it's already here. Time to break out the puffy coat, the windshield scraper, your trusty shovel, and the stock pot.

"Chef Ben, what is this stock pot you speak of? Everyone knows that delicious stock is born in boxes!"

'You are incorrect, grasshopper. In order to make transcendent soup, one mustn't use the boxed yellow-chicken-salty-water, one must make stock. In a stock pot, out of food."

It looks like this:

All silliness aside, this discussion is fundamental to cooking. Typically, when people are asking me advice regarding cooking, they aren't looking for the quick and dirty hack method. It's not to say that good soup can't be made from premade stock. It is to say, however, that in order to be great, and truly "warm the soul", the stock has to come from scratch.

Why? For the same reason that scratch cooking always allows us to achieve better results: Points of control. Boxed stocks pretty much come one way. Fairly flavorful, brightly colored, salty, watery, and no viscosity. These are all points that can be controlled with making one's own stock.

Flavor: Homemade stock has a milder, more natural flavor. Stock reduction (cooking down) can intensify this. Also, a homemade stock can have it's flavor customized for the task at hand. Homemade stocks typically don't have salt added. Salt can be added to the finished dish.

Color: The color of homemade stock can be controlled via roasting of meats and vegetables that go into the pot. The darker the roast, the darker the stock. We can also change flavor profiles this way.

Viscosity: This is the big one. I have yet to see a premade stock product that could stand in the same room with homemade stock as far as viscosity (thickness). A properly made stock is somewhat gelatinous, and a slightly thick. This is due to dissolved collagen from connective tissue. this is what separates a rich, satisfying mouth-coating broth from one that is watery.

Let's make a pot of chicken stock:

2 pounds chicken bones 1 large onion, quartered 4 each carrots, peeled, halved 4 each ribs celery, cut in half 1 onion 10 sprigs fresh thyme 10 sprigs fresh parsley with stems 2 bay leaves 8 peppercorns 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled 2 gallons cold water

Directions:

Put stuff in pot

Bring to boil

Reduce to simmer

Cook 4-6 hours

Strain

That's it. Your house will smell like magic. You'll have the backbone to make amazing soup. If your stock needs to be perfectly clear, skim anything you see float to the surface. Make soup, warm your soul.

"But Chef Ben, that's too much work..."

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is, I'm not going to sit around for 6 hours waiting for my stock to be done!"

"Ok, try this method..."

Brown Beef Stock

2 lbs beef bones

1 lb carrots, peeled and broken

4 celery ribs

2 onions, halved

10 thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

12 peppercorns

10 sprigs parsely with stems

Preheat broiler to high. Lay beef bones out on a broiler pan and broil until dark brown, about 10 minutes. They will look like this:

Remove bones from pan and arrange your vegetables in a single layer. Broil 7-10 minutes until dark brown.

Here's what makes it so easy. Dump all ingredients into your crock pot. That's right your crock pot. Cook 12 hours on low. You can sleep. Do whatever, go nuts. Your stock will be delicious, and ready for your next recipe.

I'll be posting soon with some great soup recipes to use your newfound skill of stock making with. Because Stock is King.