I’m pretty much of a simpleton when it comes to cooking, I guess. I had never really heard of “stock” until last year, when Ben C. and Mark J. introduced me to it. Maybe you’ve never heard of it either, though. The reality is, most of us do a less intensive form of cooking than our ancestors did. Even when we don’t eat formally “prepared” foods, we still start with some building blocks that our ancestors didn’t have. And we do it because we are in a hurry, don’t have time, don’t know how. I haven’t heard much about the Slow Food Movement recently, but I want to “get to that place”. Thing is, I’ve just been too busy …
Anyway, stock is a wonderful semi-secret of good cooks and chefs, I am convinced. It is made from cooking down bones with a variety of spices and veggies. What you wind up with is a wonderful “material” that can be used in cooking almost anything, and it makes that anything taste great! You can buy it in tubs, over the web, but why not make your own?
So here’s a recipe and some comments from our customer, Fred S.:
For my stock, I tend to use whatever is on hand. Random herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, sage), veggies (greens, broccoli stalks, celery, carrots, onions), garlic, red peppers, etc. I put the bones, veggies, and seasonings into the crock pot, fill it with water, and put it on the 10 hour cycle. The real treat is how much marrow LSGF bones have. That is a real delicacy.
Alton Brown is a solid chef, and his stock recipe surely will not lead you astray:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/abs-beefy-broth-recipe/index.html
I haven’t tried it, but we swear by a number of his recipies at my house, our favorite being http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/traditional-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html
Marrow ideas:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Bone-Marrow-with-Parsley-Salad-365791
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Beef-Tenderloin-with-Red-Wine-and-Marrow-Sauce-105500
Many thanks, Fred!