Asian-style Master Stock

[Joel Aarons]

Hi everyone,

 

I am new to the forum. Looking for ways to ask all the asian cooking questions I have.

 

The first is this. I have a Masterstock recipe I want to try. Once I'm done, I plan to cool it, skim the fat, strain it and freeze it, with the hope I can develop it over a number of years.

 

Different recipes say different things as far as what to do when you bring it out.

 

Is it right bring the frozen masterstock to boil, add the aromatics (ginger, cassia bark, star ainise, rock sugar, orange peel) as well as the sauces (light soy, dark soy, shaoxing wine etc) again into the stock? Or do I just leave it?

 

Thanks!

[nickrey]

Hi Joel and welcome.

 

Traditional Asian masterstocks are used every day adjusting the water level to a six litre mark and adding around 1 tbsp of dark soy and 2 tbsp of light soy. You would only adjust the aromatics every third day or so.

 

Given that you are freezing the stock, I'd adjust the same way but placing the freezing and thawing in the cycle as a component; that is, adjust the liquid and soy as normal and only adjust the aromatics every third use.

 

Good luck. 

 

Smithy, it is a traditional stock used for braising chicken, pork, beef, or fish. As it is used in an ongoing fashion, it gains flavour not only from the soy and aromatics (eg. cassia bark, star anise, cardamom, dried mandarin peel, garlic, ginger, etc) but also from the ingredients that are cooked in it. Some commercial kitchens are using masterstocks that have been in use for decades. 

[Joel Aarons]

Nickrey, thank you so much! That's very helpful! I'll give that a go.

 

Also, a sidenote, most commercial kitchens that use masterstocks have seperate stocks for each protein (ie: one for pork, one for chicken, one for fish etc.) but most domestic cooks don't bother.

[megcanwhisk]

I have a 6 month old asian master stock that I've been faithfully looking after. It's really starting to build good flavours and Im so happy that it's been worth the effort. However Im concerned about a fine sediment tht falls to the bottom of the cooled stock. I've been straining it everytime to remove the solids and spices but can't remove the sediment. The stock smells great but Im worried that I might be making a tasty poison.

[Shalmanese]

The sediment is just protein particles and won't be an issue so long as you follow proper handling procedures with the stock.

[megcanwhisk]

Thanks. I feel better now. I did 'search' but nothing came up.

 

Asian master stock is a heavily season stock for cooking meats in. You don't use the stock like you would with other stocks in soups and things, rather as a boiling medium that imparts a ton of flavour and colour. The stock can be re-used over and over if you treat it right and some in China are over 100  years old. It's base is soy sauces, rice wine, spices, sugar and citus peels. Great way to turn cheap meat cuts into something really speical.

[dcarch]

Am I wrong?

 

1. Master sauce is not the same as master stock.

 

2. Home-made master stock can taste like leftover stock, because restaurant master stock, even 100 years old, large quantity gets used up from it everyday, and new ingredients are added everyday, so it is never too old.

 

dcarch