Beef Stock - Homemade Beef Stock
Learn How To Make Beef Stock

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Homemade Beef Stock Recipe

Recipe Type: Broth, Beef, Wine, Condiments and Sauces
Yields: 8 to 10 servings
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 hr

Ingredients:

6 pounds cross-cut beef shanks (bone in)*
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
1 large onion, quartered
1 cup of red wine (use a bold red, such as Borolo, Merlot, or Shiraz)
1 can beef consommé**
2 quarts water (approximately)

* Pick shanks with lots of meat on them. Do not trim excess fat from meat before cooking. You remove the fat when you shred the beef.

** Consommé is slightly thicker and richer than beef broth.

Preparation:

Sprinkle the beef shanks with salt; set aside.

In a large Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the salted beef shanks and brown on both sides until golden brown; remove from pot and set aside.

Add the onions and brown until golden; remove from pot and set aside.

Deglaze the pot with the red wine, reducing the wine to the consistency of syrup.

Reduce heat to low. Return the browned beef shanks and onions to the pot, sweating the meat and onion until they have released about 1 cup of their juices. Add 2 quarts of water and let simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours. Do not allow the water to boil.

After 2 hours, remove the meat to a plate and let slightly cool and then pull the meat off the shank bones. Remove any fat and muscle tissue from the cooked beef. Using two forks, shred the beef and set aside. Save the cooked beef for making Ropa Vieja - Cuban Beef Stew.

Place the shank bones back into the pot. Add the beef consommé and let gently simmer, without a lid, for another 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, remove from heat and strain the beef stock through a strainer into a large bowl. If you are going to make Ropa Vija, remove the onions and add to the shredded meat. Discard the rest of the strained material left in the strainer.

Beef stock may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.

Makes approximately 6 to 8 cups of beef stock.

 

Karen's recipes using Homemade Beef Stock:

Balsamic Beef Stew
Beef stew is classic comfort food which is a simple, but delicious. The addition of the balsamic vinegar takes the stew to new delicious taste heights!
 

Beef and Barley Stew
This stew is so good! Very flavorful, and comforting soup. Cooking the meat until tender with the vinegar and water gives this soup a complexity of flavors that you will love.

Beef Stroganoff
Beef Stroganoff is a classic Russian dish that consists of strips of lean beef sautéed and served in a sour cream sauce over egg noodles.

Portuguese Braised Beef Shanks
This is a wonderful dish with warming spices and a little twist of Mexican chile peppers thrown in. Creamy, buttered mashed potatoes also go well with this dish.

Ropa Vieja - Cuban Beef Stew
Ropa Vieja literally means "old clothes" in Spanish. The name describes the shreds of meat (usually beef shanks) and vegetables which resemble colorful strips of rags. The beef must be cooked and shredded first. This makes an excellent filling for tacos, burritos, making taco bowls, and also served with rice.
 

Sacramento Valley Meatball in Red Wine Gravy
This is an excellent recipe for meatballs and gravy. The meatballs are light and flavorful with red onion and allspice. They are browned in a bit of coconut oil and cooked in beef stock and red wine. You must try this!