Brown Veal Stock Recipe
- Kosher salt
- 8 to 10 pounds veal bones
- 2 medium onions, quartered
- 2 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 6 garlic cloves, slightly crushed
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 bay leaves, crumbled
- 2 or 3 thyme sprigs
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly salt the bones and arrange them in a large roasting pan in a single layer. Cook until well browned on both sides, about 1 to 1½ hours, turning halfway through. Carefully pour off the accumulated fat. Add the onions, carrots, celery; and garlic. Plop the tomato paste on top of the bones, and roast for another 30 to 40 minutes.
- Transfer the bones and vegetables to a large stockpot (at least 8 quarts), using tongs. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan and place it over 2 burners on your stove; turn on the heat to medium. Add 2 cups of water. Gently loosen the brown bits from the pan with a wooden spoon. When all the brown bits have been loosened, transfer the liquid to the stockpot and add another 3 quarts of water, or enough to cover the bones completely. Add the bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorns and bring to a simmer.
- Skim any foam that rises to the surface, and cook over the lowest simmer possible for 4 to 6 hours, longer if possible. Let cool slightly, then strain the stock through a colander into a large bowl, discarding the solids. Strain again through a fine mesh sieve (lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter if you have it) into another large bowl. Cool completely, then chill.
- After it’s chilled, remove the fat from the top. At this point, the stock can be returned to a saucepan and reduced by half for demi-glace, or it can be divided into small containers and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 6 months.
