My Market Year(s)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425F.
2. Toss the beef bones with a little salt (a couple of pinches) and a little canola oil (2 tablespoons) and place them in a single layer in a large roasting pan. You will deglaze the pan on the stove top so make sure it is stove-top safe as well as oven safe.
3. Put the bones in the oven on a middle rack and roast for 20 minutes. Turn the bones over. They should be well browned on the bottoms.
4. Add the onions, carrots and celery and give everything a good stir and roast for 20 more minutes.
5. Spread the tomato paste on the tops of the bones and roast for another 15 minutes or until the tomato paste is starting to brown and has darkened (rusted).
6. Make a sachet with the bay leaves and peppercorns using a piece of cheese cloth and string.
7. Transfer all the bones and vegetables into a large dutch oven or stock pot. Add the sachet. Add cold water to just cover the bones. Add a little cold water to the roasting pan and deglaze (heat the pan on the stove top and stir with a spoon) the pan. Add the deglazing liquid to the dutch oven / stock-pot.
8. Bring the stock to a boil then reduce the temperature to a bare simmer – a few bubbles at a time. Give the stock a stir and cover and let it simmer.  Skim any foam that forms on the stock as it cooks.  If you get a thick layer of fat, you can skim that off as well.

I let my stock simmer for 24 to 36 hours. The bones will be soft and chalky. The reason for the long low simmer is to extract the collagen from the bones. This is what give the stock is rich thick mouth feel. My stock is thick enough that a wooden spoon will stand in it when it cools.

As it simmers, check the heat so that it stays at a bare simmer and stir it occasionally (every few hours and just before bed). Once it is done, put a colander inside of a large bread bowl. Put the bread bowl in the sink. Pour the stock into the colander. Pick the bones out of the colander and then use a spoon to push out as much liquid as possible out of the vegis and meat that is left. Cool the stock in an ice bath to bring the temperature down below 40F as quickly as possible. Pour the stock through a fine sieve into a container and transfer to the fridge.

Freeze it or use it within three days. I freeze mine in 2 cup containers.

The stock is unsalted so it will taste flat. If you want to taste it along the way or at the end, ladle some out into a cup or mug and then add a pinch of salt. Give it a good stir and taste.