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This Homemade Beef Stock Recipe is easy peasy! Never buy a stock cube again! Its rich, beefy and packed full of goodness! Perfect for your next soup, casserole or gravy!
Why Use Homemade Beef Stock?
There is an endless list of recipes that call for the use of Beef Stock and homemade beef stock is far superior in flavour, texture and versatility. Here is why:
Superior Flavour: store bought beef stock is lacking in flavour. Flavour comes from the bones and connective tissue in the beef which are essential for a truly tasty beef stock.
It’s Healthier: you source the ingredients and use only the best that you can find for the best results. Plus it has no salt so it can be used for any recipe.
It’s Gelatinous: Beef stock when solidified will turn to jelly due to the gelatinous content that comes from the bones and connective tissue. This provides welcome texture and taste that you get when eating at good restaurants.
It’s cheaper: High quality store bought stocks are good but expensive and often sold in small quantities. You are saving money by choosing to make your own high quality and flavoured stock.
It’s easy to make and once everything is in the pot it can simply be left to simmer and create its beautiful flavours.
Just be ready to wash up a big stock pot and keep a pot on the fire for between 3-8 hours, but apart from that it is a pretty painless recipe.
Of course there are a wide variety of stock cubes, powders and pots you can buy already made from the supermarket, which I love and do regularly use in my recipes. But nothing beats real homemade stock.
Think about using homemade Beef Stock for special occasions and recipes that really benefit from the use of fresh stock, like Beef Bourguignon!
What Can I Use Homemade Beef Stock For?
You can use Homemade Beef Stock in a number of recipes, there are many that call for it.
I like having Homemade Beef Stock in the freezer to use in my more special recipes like Beef Bourguignon or a delicious Rich Onion Gravy. I will be dropping my recipe soon!
Another great use is to make super yummy noodle soups. If you use Homemade Beef Stock for your soups, the flavours are going to be richer, fresher and tastier!
What Do I Need?
All the ingredients can be easily found at your local grocery store – no matter where you are!
Beef- This is an obvious one! Choose good quality beef for more intense flavour. You will need beef with a good bone and fat ratio. I tend to buy muscle which has lots of connective tissue which provides flavour and gelatin. Then simply ask your butcher for some beef bones for stock making.
Carrots, Celery, Onions – This wonderful trio is going to provide some fragrant vegetable notes to your broth.
Herbs – I like to use thyme fresh or dried, oregano and bay leaves and fresh parsley.
Spices – I commonly use black and white peppercorns, coriander seeds and sometimes a few cumin seeds.
How To Make Homemade Beef Stock
Its a long process but easy and hands off for pretty much the whole time.
METHOD 1 –
Add the beef bones to a baking tray and roast in the oven at 180C for 1 hour. Flip the bones halfway.
10 minutes before removing add 100ml of water to the tray and return to the oven turn to 200C to deglaze the pan.
Add the bones and liquid to the stock pot and follow on from method 2.
METHOD 2 –
Cut the vegetables into quarters for manageability and add to the stock pot together with the herbs and spices.
Add 3 litres of water or a lottle more if needed to cover the contents of the pot.
turn the heat to high and cover the pot. Once boiling remove the lid and use a scimmer to remove and scum from the top of the pot.
Turn the heat to low and leave to simmer for 4-8 hours. For best results simmer for the full hours.
Once done use a colander over a bowl to separate the solids from the liquids and allow your stock to cool completely.
Once cool add to a wide mouthed container and allow the stock to cool completely so that the fat solidifies on the top and can be scrapped off with a spoon.
How Long Does Stock Keep?
Homemade stock will keep for up to 6 days in a cold fridge or 6 months in the freezer. 9 months at a push! I have done it was still delicious and I’m still here!
Tips & Tricks –
The key ingredient is the beef so be sure to use the best quality beef you can, for amazing flavour.
Use beef with the bone in. The most intense flavour comes from the bone and bone marrow
Reserve the leftover beef to use in a sandwich, soup, taco or casserole. It will have lost lots of flavour and nutrition so put it in something really saucy and save it for the dog!
Reserve the leftover vegetables and blend into a delicious warming soup!
Homemade Beef Stock Serving Suggestions –
Homemade Beef Stock can be used for whatever recipe you want to, that is the best thing about it! Below you will find a list of my favourite recipes that require the use of good quality Beef Stock.
Rich and Tasty Homemade Beef Stock to level up your cooking!
Servings 2litre
Prep Time 5 minutesmins
Cook Time 8 hourshrs
Total Time 5 hourshrs5 minutesmins
Equipment
Deep lidded pot
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Colander
Fine Sieve
Muslin Cloth optional
Baking tray optional
Ingredients
800kgbeef bones
200gbeef muscle
2onions
1large beef tomato
2carrots
1garlic clove
1large celery stalk
1tspthyme
1tspblack peppercorns
2bay leaves
1tspcoriander seeds optional
Instructions
Cut your beef into manageable pieces and add to a large deep pot.
If doing the roasting method add the beef bones to the baking tray and bake in a pre-heated 180°C oven for 1 hour.
10 minutes before the hour is up add 100ml of water to the tray and return to the oven and turn up to 200 for the last 10 minutes.
Once done add the beef bones and liquid to the stock pot.
Wash and cut all the fresh vegetables in half and add to the pot with the beef. Add the herbs and spices and add 3 litres of water.
Place the lid on the pot and turn the heat to high. Once the stock is boiling turn the heat to low and leave to simmer for 3 hours minimum or 8 hours for super rich results.
Throughout the cooking use a skimmer to remove any scum that has risen to the top and discard.
Once done remove the beef and vegetables to separate bowls and then use a colander over a bowl to strain the smaller parts. Then use the fine sieve to strain the finer parts.
Optional – You can also use some muslin cloth to sieve the stock further for any impurities and fat. Read recipe notes below.
Once cooled pour the stock into a container with a wide spout or opening that will allow you to scrape off the solidified fat that will settle and solidify at the top. Read recipe notes below.
Notes
TIPS –
Roasting the beef bones is 100% optional. it does produce a richer browner beef stock but not roasting still produces super delicious results.
If not browning the beef in the oven, you must simmer for the full. hours for comparable results.
Removing the scum while cooking is essential to get a nice clean broth that is not dirty.
The leftover beef can be used for a pie, sandwich or given to your dog. Never give dogs cooked bones.
Allow the stock to cool completely before pouring into plastic.
Pour the stock into a wide mouthed container. Once it solidifies the fat will have risen to the top and you can simply use a spoon to scrape it off.
Author: Daniel Devereux
Cost: £15
Course: Stock
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Beef, French Flavour, Savoury, Stock
Did you try this Homemade Beef Stock Recipe?
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