This video will demonstrate how to concentrate a stock by reducing and reinforcing its flavors. This concentrated stock can then be used to make "a la minute" sauces, such as a pan reduction sauce. Although this process is demonstrated with chicken stock, it is the exact same method used when working with other meat based stocks such as veal, pork and lamb.
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You can reduce right after
You can reduce right after straining if you like. You can also boil your stock as hard as possible during the reduction process as long as there is one small "cold zone" that will allow the scum to collect for skimming purposes.
When reducing your stock over a long period of time, the flavor will change, but not necessarily in a bad way. In fact, some chefs will reduce stocks for 12 hours plus. General rule of thumb; reduce as quickly as possible, but there is no "time limit" on how long this reduction process should take.
There really is nothing like
There really is nothing like good, reinforced stock.
One of the best ways to store
One of the best ways to store stock is to reinforce it as shown in this video, reduce it way down until it will fit in a couple of ice cube trays, and freeze into individual ice cubes. Once frozen, pop them out and store in a zip-loc bag. You can now pull an ice cube or two as needed to make a pan sauce "a la minute" or reinforce a soup.
You can also pressure can at 20 PSI for 30 minutes at which point they will be safe to store at room temperature, in a cool, dark place for months to come.
Commercial broth is so clear because they first cook it under pressure which means the stock actually never boils and then vacuum it through a series of very fine strainers that pulls out all the particulate matter.
Once you start making your
Once you start making your own stocks and keeping them around, it's hard to go back. Adding a concentrated ice cube of stock to just about anything, especially liquid based, will make it taste better.
Yes, pork stock can be made
Yes, pork stock can be made and it is AWESOME!
For the skimmed fat, place it in a heavy bottom pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once it starts to simmer, reduce the heat to medium low and continue to simmer until it no longer simmers. Basically what you're doing is boiling all the water out of the fat, but over a low enough temperature so that the fat doesn't start to break down. When the fat stops simmering, then you know that all the water has evaporated away and what you're left with is pure animal fat.
Strain through a coffee filter and allow to cool. The fastest thing that will turn fat rancid is direct light and oxygen, so store it in an air-tight container (a glass mason jar works perfect) and out of direct sunlight. It will keep for months and make everything you cook taste awesome.
At the restaurant, I try and keep various types of animal fats around because I prefer to cook animals in their own fat (duck in duck fat, chicken in chicken fat, etc).
Also, you can never ask too many questions. That's what this site is here for.
Pour the drippings over your
Pour the drippings over your mirepoix for the stock and roast in the oven. The carcass and any chicken leftovers can be used for stock.
Hi Esmeralda, For roasted
Hi Esmeralda,
For roasted chicken stock, you traditionally don't use tomato paste like you would with veal bones. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't, but it's just no commonly done.
At Stella, we don't use tomato paste in our chicken stock because I think the flavor is a bit overpowering.
For leftover, roasted chicken, you can either rub with oil and roast it more, or just make a stock with it directly.
When making a white chicken stock, you're starting with raw bones, so the blanching step is important to coagulate the proteins and render some of the fat, which yields a clearer, lighter colored stock.
But since the roasted chicken carcass is already cooked, you don't have to blanch it before making a stock.