Meat Stock

As every farmhouse cook will tell you, good home-made stock is the secret of successful meat soups, stews, casseroles, gravies and sauces.

Makes about 2 litres.

Ingredients

• 1.75kg of beef, veal or lamb bones, cut into roughly 6cm pieces
• 2 onions, quartered
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
• 4 litres of water
• A handful of parsley stalks
• A sprig of thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 black peppercorns

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 230C or gas mark 8.
2. Put the bones in a roasting tin and roast for 30 minutes or until they start to brown, turning occasionally.
3. Add the vegetables and baste with the fat in the tin.
4. Roast for a further 20 - 30 minutes or until the bones are well browned, stirring and basting occasionally.
5. Transfer the solids into a pot and spoon off the fat.
6. Add a little water and then bring to the boil, then pour into the pot with the solids.
7. Add the rest of the water and boil, skimming off any foam, then add the herbs and pepper.
8. Partly cover and simmer for 4 - 6 hours, topping up with water if needed.
9. Strain the stock. Skim as much fat as possible.
10. Cool then chill the stock to solidify the fat, then remove.