Soup stock that is homemade makes a lot of difference! If you have vegetable or meat scraps, make soup stock by adding some spices to them, cook them together slowly in water, and use them as foundation for your other recipes. Making your own soup stock is actually healthier for you as you can control the sodium and the fat. You can also use soup stock for sautéing. It will help reduce both fat and calories.
Definitions
- Bouillion – when you clarify and lightly season your brown stock
- Broth – when you simmer any meat in water
- Brown stock – when you use beef; think lean meat, fat, and bones
- Consomme – when you use two or more types of meat. Usually, they are chicken, beef, and veal. Consomme is highly seasoned, clarified, and then strained
- Vegetable soup stock – water in which vegetables have been cooked. You can use vegetable stock in place of water when following a recipe.
- White soup stock – when you use chicken, turkey, or veal; think lean meat, fat, and bones
Making Meat Soup Stock
The procedure below will yield you 2-1/2 quarts of soup stock. Adjust the measurements to your desired yield. Remember, however, that making a large quantity of soup stock will allow you to freeze some in ice cube trays. Pop the cubes into plastic freezer bags. You will then have some good homemade soup stock for your use whenever you need them.
- Remove the lean meat from six pounds of meat soup bones and fat. Cut the lean meat in one-inch cubes.
- Cut three tablespoons of fat from the soup bones.
- Brown one-third of the cubed lean meat in the three tablespoons of fat.
- Place remaining two-thirds of the cubed lean meat, fat, and soup bones in a large stockpot, and cover with three quarts of cold water. Let stand for one hour so that you can draw out the juices from the meat.
- Add the one-third browned, cubed lean meat.
- Use some of the soup water to rinse the pan that you used to brown the lean meat. Return the water to the soup pot.
- Slowly heat to boiling point. Simmer for at least two hours. Skim whenever necessary.
- Take the bones out of the pot
- Add your favorite diced vegetables (celery, carrots, etc.) to the soup stock
- Season the soup stock to taste (herbs, spices, sea salt, etc.)
- Simmer for another hour.
- Strain and cool quickly.
- Store the soup stock in the refrigerator or the freezer and use as needed.
- If you are uncertain about measurements, just make sure that half the ingredients of your soup stock are solid and the other half liquid.
Making White Soup Stock
To four to five pounds of chicken, turkey, or veal parts, add:
- 3 large chopped carrots
- 1 large chopped onion
- 4 stalks of celery with the leafy top parts
- 8 chopped cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorn
- Place all ingredients in the stockpot and bring to a slow boil. Simmer about two hours, periodically skimming off the foam on top of the soup stock.
- Strain and refrigerate the soup stock for a few hours before freezing any portion you like.
Something to Think About
- All meat scraps can be used for soup stock, but avoid corned, smoked, salted, and burned pieces of meats. They have the possibility of developing a strong, unpleasant flavor.
- The main types are chicken, meat, vegetable, and seafood.
- Whatever the solid ingredients you put together for your soup stock, match it with an equal amount of liquid.
- Bring to a boil slowly, simmer and skim the top when necessary.
Soup stock is healthful and it will save you money.
