Marlene

We'll either eat out or order in for about a week. That usually cures me fairly quickly of not wanting to cook.

My motto is generally, if at first you don't suceed.... keep trying. But I'm rather stubborn that way I can't tell you how many times I've read through that stock course now. Normally that would work well, but today it's plus 5 outside. Not cold enough. I'll just have to wait for my indoor fridges to do their work.

On the other hand, I'd prefer more restaurants to offer a cheese course as a finish. I make cakes, but I rarely eat them. I'm just not a sweets eater.

It will take some time for my stock to chill. I may not be ready to de-fat or reduce until tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime, I need a more detailed description on how to reduce to demi glace. I think it must be more than the "coat the back of your spoon", but I'm really not sure.

Put the beans in my grind and brew coffee maker, add water, turn it on, forget to add basket. I now have ground coffee all over the place. This just isn't going to be my week in the kitchen.

Marlene, I don't think I've made as large an amount as yours, for several years, but I'm with you vicariously! I hope you make some of it into consomme, whisking in egg whites to clarify, and maybe some for the base of a classic sauce espagnole. I have the Escoffier recipe if needed. ← Ooooh! More stuff to learn. More details please!

The stock is in my two fridges downstairs. The only thing in those fridges is beer and water.

I've posted the pictures of my progress to date on the eGCI Stockmaking Course thread.

So I'm making stock as per the instructions given here. To be precise, a beef stock. I've never done this before. Here's my progress to date: I had two pans of oxtails, beef shanks and a few beef ribs, painted with tomato paste: and roasted into the stockpot with onions and carrots deglazed the pan and added the juices to the stock pot: simmered it gently all night and this is what it looked like this morning I've strained it once, into three smaller pots. They are in the fridge chilling now. The one pot looks cloudy, but it really isn't. It's my lousy picture taking and it was still hot, so it may be steam, but it really isn't cloudy. I swear: Next up will be de fatting, straining once more back into the stock pot and reducing to a bunch of ice cube demi glaces.

And the best news of the day is that my 24 quart pot fits in my dishwasher!

Good plan. As soon as I clear my sink from all the paraphanalia, I'll do that! Thanks.

If I used a gravy strainer, I'd be here all day. I pretty much decided that I would put it in the fridge, de fat it, then restrain it through cheesecloth back into the stock pot when it comes time to reduce. I'd say I have about 12 quarts give or take right now.

I've strained my stock into three large pots. I have not used the cheesecloth/colander method, but strained through a fine mesh strainer directly into the pots after removing the solids. So do I need to strain it again through cheesecloth before putting it in the fridge to solidify the fat?

Oh sure, I have a 10 quart pot. I have a six quart pot and a 4 qt pot. That will have to do. The stock looks and smells great this morning. I'm just about to take the meat and bones out and chill it for a little while. Then I'll try my hand at reducing.

It's coming along nicely I think. I had to skim for about half an hour every 10 minutes, but it's simmering away nicely now. I can' t wait to see how I'm gonna lift this thing to strain it tomorrow. I swear, I'll read Fat Guy's class 20 times before attempting the reducing part tomorrow.

No Maggie, I'd rather not compare burns. you'd win (I think). but if you saw my stupid kitchen post tonight, you'll understand why I have blisters raising on each of my fingers of my left hand. top and bottom. In the meantime, soup, we need soup! I made on onion confit that will work very nicely with my new beef stock to make onion soup at some point in the not to distant future.

Maggie, I'm glad you're feeling better. I've got beef stock simmerin on the stove in preparation for any beef based soup you care to work on. I only burned myself a couple of tiny times doing it too.

More important Rachel, how did it taste?

not a chance. It's a great painkiller. For the record, It's not a good idea to hold a hot slice of pizza in your burned fingertips either

I've already made my first mistake. I must have read Fat Guy's stock class 10 times. I obviously skipped right over the part where he told us to "wash" the bones first for a dark stock then add the vegetables. sigh.

I can attest to how heavy a 24 qt stock pot is. (gasp). I've browned the bones (and my fingers), de glazed the pan and put those juices into the pot. put the onions and carrots into the pot (sorry, I forgot celery) and then covered the bones with water. I have pics but I have to wait till my fingers stop burning before I can post them.

I will never again grab the handles of a stainless steel roasting pan with my bare hands - right after it comes out of the oven. Not once, but twice in the space of 5 minutes. My left hand is now soaking in ice.

Well success. I did not find a chuck roast, but I did find the supermarket had restocked from this morning. Beef shanks and oxtails abounded. No, they weren't cheap. But I want my first stock to be just right. I'm making pizza dough. After dinner, I'll begin the stock experiment!

I'll let you know how the chuck roast turns out. If I can find one this afternoon, I'll be starting my stock tonight.

You'd think no one in this town makes beef stock any more. 4 supermarkets, and two butchers later, the best I can come up with is a couple of veal shanks and several beef bones. No beef shanks or oxtail. I"m gonna have to pick up some sort of chuck roast to supplement this stock. I'll post progress as I go.