Name: Homemade Beef Stock
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 300 min
Total time: 330 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Tomato purée, optional, for deeper colour; 3 Carrot, roughly chopped; 6 Parsley stalks, roughly chopped; 2 Onion, quartered, skins removed; 3 Celery stalk, roughly chopped; 2 kg Beef bones, marrow and knuckle bones, cut to fit tray; 1 bulb Garlic, halved crosswise; 1 tsp Black Peppercorns, whole; 4 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or 1 tsp dried thyme; 2 Bay Leaf, dried; 4 L Cold Water, or enough to fully cover bones and veg

Method

30 mins prep300 mins cook330 mins total

Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan. Spread the beef bones on a large roasting tray and roast for 35–45 minutes, turning once, until deeply browned.
Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the tray for the last 20 minutes of roasting so the vegetables caramelise at the edges.
Transfer roasted bones and vegetables to a large stockpot. Spoon off excess fat from the tray, then add tomato purée to the tray and scrape up any browned bits with a splash of hot water.
Pour the deglazing liquid into the pot, then add peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme and parsley stalks. Cover with cold water by 3–5 cm.
Bring slowly to a gentle simmer. Skim off foam and impurities as they rise. Keep at a bare simmer for 4 hours, topping up with hot water if needed to keep ingredients submerged.
Strain through a fine sieve into a clean pot or bowl. For a clearer stock, strain again through muslin.
Cool rapidly, then refrigerate until the fat firms on top. Lift off the fat, then portion and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.