Something I learned in the last year is how easy it is to make good stock. All you need is mixed veggies and herbs for vegetable stock, and either chicken or beef with the bone for the others. I later made French onion soup with this stock, so I wanted beef. My boyfriend and I had gone to this amazing landmark of a restaurant called Keens Steakhouse in Midtown West, Manhattan. We ordered the aged prime Porterhouse for two. It was to die for! And neither of us could finish even half of the giant portion! So I saved the main T-bone for stock. Later on, I made lamb chops on the bone, and saved those bones in the freezer, too. All I did was add to the bones some roughly chopped carrot, onion, and celery. I added fresh rosemary, bay leaves, and thyme as well and simmered on a low heat, lightly covered for about 4 hours. To strain it so it's clear, skim off any foam that forms during the first hour of cooking. Then sieve the finished stock through a cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve into another container, being sure to squeeze all flavor out of the veggies. Then chill the liquid in the fridge, and discard the fat that settles on top. This will give you a nice, clear stock; which you can use for soups, stews, or just flavoring rice as it cooks. I do have a confession to make about this batch. I did not strain this stock. I was too hungry to wait any longer, so when I started the onion soup recipe, I just added ladles full of the stock right from the pot, being careful to keep what I took as clear as possible.
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July 2015
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