Store bought beef broth and stock lack a lot of color and flavor, especially when using them to make a flavorful sauce. Rather than browning beef bones to make stock, this recipe takes store-bought boxes of stock and “beefs” them up to taste like a thicker, darker, homemade stock with tons of flavor.
TIPS: You can easily double this recipe to make a lot of stock at once. Very important: Do NOT add salt when making broth. Salt concentrates too easily when reducing the stock and also any dish you make with the stock is where you would add your salt to taste. This stock freezes great so make lots!
Homemade Beef Stock
(made from store-bought Beef Stock)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 large onions, large dice
- 3 oz tomato paste
- 2 – 32 oz boxes low sodium beef broth or beef stock
- 3/4 lb carrots, large dice, cleaned but not peeled
- 3/4 lb celery, large dice
- 1 leek, white part only, large dice (optional)
- 5-6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 8-10 whole black peppercorns
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large stockpot. Add onions and cook until onions start to turn golden brown , about 10 minutes or more. Add the tomato paste and stir into the onions, cooking for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Add all the chopped vegetables to the onions, along with all the rest of the ingredients, including the boxes of broth. Make sure all the vegetables are covered by the broth. If not, add a bit of water. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer uncovered at a VERY low temperature (barely bubbling), stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Stock will reduce down to about 6 cups. Do NOT add any salt.
- Remove stock from heat. Strain stock in a regular colander over a large bowl and press out all the liquid from the vegetables. Next, strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer to remove the rest of the fine bits of solids. Let cool and put in individual freezer safe containers. The stock is good in the refrigerator for a week, and can freeze indefinitely.
- Enjoy!