Mmm Mmm Monday: Beef Stock

Let's talk about beef stock today.  This recipe is a combination of this recipe (scroll down for the beef stock recipe; many stock and soup recipes on this site, plus soup lore and soup humor) and this recipe.  This recipe is also scaled down a little from those two recipes.  So recipe #1 + recipe #2 = something like the following.

Ingredients

• 4 lb. beef soup bones, some with meat
• 2-3 carrots, cut into chunks
• parsnip, cut into chunks
• 1 wilty celery stalk, cut into chunks (the whole thing)
• 1 large onion, quartered
• handful of fresh parsley
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 t. thyme
• 1 T. black peppercorns
• some kosher salt (I lightly salt stock or don't add salt at all bc I don't know what it will be used for and can always add salt later, but can't remove it)

Instructions (these mostly follow recipe #1)

1. In a 450 oF oven, roast everything in a roasting pan for an hour.
2. Move everything in a large stock pot.
3. Deglaze the roasting pan with 1/2 c. - 1 c. water and then add that deglazed goodness into the stock pot.
4. Fill the stockpot until ingredients are covered by a few inches, maybe 3"-4".
5. Bring slowly to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 2 hours.
6. Remove cover and simmer, uncovered, for at least another hour.
7. Strain and pour the stock into containers for freezing.
8. Let cool to room temperature, then freeze.
9. Do not remove the fat -- this will seal the stock while it's in the freezer.

Here it is after being refrigerated overnight and before freezing.

BTW, that bread thing in the plastic bag is the fabled nut roll of which I have most assuredly rapturously spoken.  Already I'm looking forward to having some tonight after work with a nice cuppa tea.