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[DFW] Sources for Beef & Veal Stock Bones


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I am going to make stock soon. As you have probably noticed, the mainline grocery stores appear to have less and less in the way of bones and inexpensive meat for stock making. I would appreciate any ideas for butchers and groceries that do have such available.

Thanks,

Richard

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Check with the Mexican carnicerias. This morning I got some beautiful meaty beef neck bones and also other bones very cheap.

They will get veal bones on request. I also get goat meat and the bones which make a lovely stock, much more delicate than lamb.

They still do their own meat cutting so I can also get round-bone roasts from them, if I ask a few days ahead of time. (I am a good, regular customer so they try to please if at all possible.)

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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Thanks planojim and irodguy. I'll give both a call.

Thanks for mentioning that, Andie. I am usually in one at least once a week. I had not thought about them for veal, though. I am also curious about what you use your goat stock for?

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If you don't care what you pay, go to CM. If you want to pay a little less, go to Kuby's and talk w/Dieter Probson. If they do not have them on hand, they will order them. The price is a bit more reasonable.

If you REALLY want veal bones (an ageism issue: the young bones have not set up yet and are richer in collagen than the bones of mature beeves, therefore you get a more gelatinous stock - and it is the body or gelatinosity or the stock, not the flavor necessarily that you're shooting for) you can buy them from Martin Preferred, a wholesaler. You must go to the will-call window at their office, and the minimum purchase is 50 lbs. Perhaps you can divy them up on-line, prior to purchase among the veal stock freaks???

But, there is hope in the local markets without wrecking your purse: go to Fiesta Mart. You want neck bones and cross cut shank (anillo), plus, if you can bear it and religion does not 86 it, fresh pork skin. The shank will provide a beefy flavor, and the neck bones will provide collagen; however, the big provider of collagen is the pork skin. Fiesta usually has it, but if you do not see it in the meat case, ask the butcher. If you cook all of this real low and real slow for many hours, you will get a nicely flavored, very gelatinous stock for your efforts.

Fiesta is also the go-to place for price conscious poultry parts - wings and backs - for excellent chicken stock.

When making stock remember that you want some flavor, but you really want body, which is provided by leaching the collagen from the bones and connective tissues of the critter you're cooking. So you want to maximize the joints and body parts with connective tissue for a good stock. That's why veal bones work so well ... but they are not the only option. Veal stock has its place, but unless you are cooking within the purview of the Guide Michelin/Gault-Millau, you can do incredible things with just a very well made beef stock.

Be aware that stock and broth are two very different things.

Theabroma

Sharon Peters aka "theabroma"

The lunatics have overtaken the asylum

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Here in Houston, I saw some particularly meaty beef neck bones a day or so ago at Kroger of all places. I made a mental note of this for when I go on a stock making binge in a couple of weeks. This is the first time I have seen neck bones in a while. I am wondering if they have come up with a butchering technique that removes the spinal chord tissue. (Mad cow disease, you know.)

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

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When making stock remember that you want some flavor, but you really want body, which is provided by leaching the collagen from the bones and connective tissues of the critter you're cooking.  So you want to maximize the joints and body parts with connective tissue for a good stock.  That's why veal bones work so well ... but they are not the only option.  Veal stock has its place, but unless you are cooking within the purview of the Guide Michelin/Gault-Millau, you can do incredible things with just a very well made beef stock.

Or you could just concentrate on flavour as much as possible and then add in some powdered gelatin in the end if you don't have enough body. Seems to work well for me.

PS: I am a guy.

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Thanks, Kevin, but I'll probably look for cheaper bones.

Thanks for the tips, Sharon. Your posts are usually as rich as stock themselves. This being no exception. I may stick to beef, considering your comments. I did a good, gelatinous chicken-stock a week ago, so I am tempted to discuss stock-making here, but know it would be better to jump over to the cooking forum to continue that part of it.

Thanks everyone, I'll check out some of these places and post later. I will be making the beef or veal stock a week or two from now.

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Unit 3 Q&A on stock in the eGCI course is quite active now so you might also consider posting there. It is really kind of cool that the wisdom and experience is collecting there.

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

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Two other quick thoughts - and my omissions - of previous body parts shopping list:

for chicken stock, do what the Chinese, Mexicans, and other waste not/want not max out the flavor folks do: go to Fiesta or an Asian market and get chicken feet. They will up the body of the stock tremendously.

for beef stock, consider including either beef feet (especially the cross-cut ankle bones) and/or pig's trotters chopped in 2" pieces or split in half.

Either are a terrific source of collagen, add some flavor, and are cheap. Those, plus things like backs and neckbones are the best way around that 50# box of veal bones.

Theabroma

Sharon Peters aka "theabroma"

The lunatics have overtaken the asylum

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I have found veal and beef soup bones at Tom Thumb. I find the best deals there sometimes. Absolute steals, but you have to look every couple days.

Veal and lamb don't sell as well as beef and chicken so they often get marked down or simply go on special.

I'm looking for a good (and cheap) and english speaking butcher in the Dallas area. I'm starting to feed my dogs a partially raw diet and would love to negotiate exactly what I want from the butcher. Whole marrow bone for them, cut two for me please.....

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