Over in the topic for the cookbook Taste and Technique there was a discussion about stock making. Here is a copy of it below. Rather than comment on the outcome of my bone stock there I thought I would put it in this thread. The bone stock pictured below was very clean tasting but not very meaty. DH says 'it's very boney'. Different for sure. But, the main thing I learned from making this stock is to use the Chefalarm to keep the stock between 190 and 200 degrees. This kept the stock very clean with not much skimming to do. Part of this is likely due to the fact there wasn't much meat in the stock.
Not sure I would make this type of stock again. Not cheap at $25 for 1 pint of 'glace de viande'.
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On 1/6/2017 at 10:07 AM, btbyrd said:Bones have very little flavor on their own. They contribute body to stocks, but not much in the way of taste. Home cooks often overlook the importance of flesh in making a flavorful stock and opt for meatless bones or well-picked carcasses. Even then, few use enough bones to yield a stock worth making. The easiest way to make a powerful stock is to use cuts that have a good balance of flavorful meat and bones... things like chicken wings/thighs, oxtails, short ribs, shank meat, and neck bones. These contain enough meat to give you flavor and enough collagen to give body to the stock. If I ever make a stock with just bones, I'll add ground meat to up the flavor. And if I ever make a stock with just meat (like when there's a crazy sale on chicken breasts), I'll throw in some feet to add body. At any rate, the ratio of water to bones/meat should approximate 1:1... add water until the bones are just barely covered. Lots of bones, lots of meat, little water... excellent stock.
What you said is the way I usually make stock but I thought I would try this recipe out of Cooking the Nouvelle Cuisine in America. I have never made a stock with just bones before and am curious because of the forward in the book. Once reduced to about 1 pint it is their glace de viande which is used throughout their recipes. They say it is essential to make the glace. So I just thought I would try it and see how it turns out. I agree about the addition of meat really making a stock flavourful. I am also trying a new technique: using a "Chefalarm" in the stock to ensure it stays between 190 and 200 degrees F. Usually when making stock over a longer period of time, I come back to the pot to discover it has come to a higher simmer than I want or it has gone too low. With the upper and lower alarm I can relax today."
