Beef stock

Beef stock recipe

Nothing beats the rich and meaty flavour of slowly simmered homemade beef stock. While store-bought stock is a great product for adding flavour to various recipes using beef stock, most of the supermarket stocks don’t actually have meat in them. Instead, the beef flavour is produced by yeast extracts. Making your own stock is low effort and there are lots of benefits. With only 10 minutes of prep, the stock just does its own thing, roasting, simmering and finally chilling, with only the occasional skim required. What results is a shimmering, glossy stock that rounds out and deepens the flavour of any recipe with beef stock, including your favourite soups, stews and sauces. 

How to make beef stock

The most important part of making beef stock recipes is to give yourself enough time. In our recipe, to add extra flavour, roast the onion, carrot, celery and beef bones until a deep golden colour. Next, pack the bones and vegetables in a large saucepan or stock pot, then add the water. It should just cover the mixture. Bring to a gentle simmer. Scum will rise to the surface, so give it a good skim and discard. Continue cooking, with the water barely simmering; just a few little bubbles should pop to the surface. You want the liquid to evaporate very slowly to deepen the flavour of the stock. When straining, you need to pass the stock through a fine sieve so that no bits of beef or vegetables escape into the stock – you want it to be as clear as possible. If you don’t have a fine sieve, line a colander with some muslin or an unused clean (unscented) Chux cloth. You can remove the fat while it’s still warm, but it’s far more effective to chill the stock, so the fat forms a thick layer on the surface. You can then easily remove it and discard it with a spoon.

How do I concentrate the flavours in my beef stock?

After transferring the beef bones and vegetables to the stockpot, pour off any excess fat from the roasting dish. Add about half a cup of water into the dish and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the tray to release any caramelised bits of meat and vegetables that may have become stuck. Pour this into the stockpot. These bits are loaded with flavour that really boosts the complexity of the final stock. Now simmer for at least five hours. Taste the stock and if it’s a bit watery, keep on simmering. You really want a deep, beefy stock that you could drink alone as a consommé. We add a full bunch of thyme and parsley, as well as three bay leaves to our beef stock, so the herby flavour doesn’t become lost in all that liquid. You may have noticed that we only season with peppercorns and no salt. Beef bones naturally contain salt, which becomes more intense the longer you simmer them.

What bones do I use for beef stock?

For the best beef stock, use a variety of bones. Bones are an excellent source of collagen that breaks down into gelatin when simmered. This gelatin is what gives the stock its body and glossy sheen. Bones contain very little flavour on their own, so it’s important to use ones that still have a fair bit of meat attached. Both neck bones and tail have loads of marrow, which also adds flavour, and it's good to throw in a meaty piece of beef shank (also known as beef osso bucco) that adds both marrow and beefy flavour.

Love this recipe?

Now you have your beautiful batch of stock, you’ll need to find recipes with beef stock. Start with a French onion soup or add homemade stock to a creamy beef stroganoff or this beef bourguignon pot roast. Beef stock really lifts stews and braises like these braised beef short ribs and hearty slow cooker beef cheesy dumplings. It can also be added to sauces and is used in the all-time favourite Diane sauce or a classic red wine sauce.