Have you ever had a fairly simple dish at a high end restaurant and wondered how they were able to add so much complexity and depth to the flavor? Take soup for instance. You order the French onion soup from your favorite bistro and it blows you away and you are left asking yourself why your French onion soup doesn’t match up. I mean you thought yours was good but the bistro’s has so much more richness and taste. Well Sherlock, it’s the stock. Homemade stocks are like secret weapons and not just for soups.

Let me just add that while I do favor making my own stocks even I at times have to rely on store bought. But if you take a lazy Sunday afternoon, make a couple of batches and freeze them, you will more often than not be able give a kick to any recipe that calls for stock.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 or so lbs of meaty beef bones (I used back ribs and oxtail)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 yellow onions quartered
• 2 leeks, cleaned and chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 cloves
• 1 cup dry red wine
• bouquet garni (see below)

Bouquet Garni

A bouquet garni is a small bundle of herbs, either tied together with twine or wrapped in cheese cloth which is then tied closed with twine. Ii basically makes the herbs easy to retrieve when the cooking is done. There are many variations but for classic French beef stock, go with 2 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs flat leaf parsley, 5 whole peppercorns and 1 bay leaf (fresh if you can get it).

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss the beef bones with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the bones in a roasting pan and roast until browned, about 30 minutes. Spread the tomato paste all over the bones and cook for another 20 minutes. Toss the carrots, onion, leeks, garlic and cloves with the remaining oil and add this to the pan with the bones and roast for another 20 minutes.

2. Place the bones and the veggies in a large stockpot. Deglaze the pan with the wine making sure to free up the fond (all of those yummy little brown bits that stick to the pan). Pour this into the pot, add the bouquet garni and 6 quarts water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 4 hours, or until it has reduce by two thirds. Check in on it from time to time and skim off any foam that forms on the surface. Adjust the seasoning with salt in needed.

3. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strain then through cheese cloth and refrigerate overnight. The next day, all of the fat will be solid and on the top. Simply remove the fat and it is ready to go. Use it now or freeze it for later. It makes about 8 – 10 cups.

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