Things You'll Need
Roasting pan with lid
Water
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
Beef bones
Colander
8 to 12 quart stockpot
Freezer bags or containers
Nothing makes a better beef stock or beef broth than cooking beef bones yourself. Often labeled as soup bones in the grocery store, beef bones may have a pound or two of meat remaining on them, and after cooking, the meat can be removed from the bone and used for other meals. If your grocery store doesn't carry beef bones, look for them at the local butcher shop.
Roasting the Bones for Extra Flavor
Step 1
Place the bones in a large roasting pan.
Step 2
Add the equivalent of 1 chopped onion, 1 sliced carrot and 1 chopped stalk of celery. Season all with salt and pepper, if desired.
Step 3
Add approximately 1 inch of water to the pan.
Step 4
Cover the roaster, and cook in a 350° oven for 30 minutes. This will brown the bones and bring out the meaty flavor.
Step 5
Remove the roaster from the oven and allow to cool. If desired, remove excess fat from the roasting liquid by skimming the fat from the liquid with a large spoon.
Make the Stock
Step 1
Strain the bones and vegetables from the roasting pan, and place the liquid in an 8 to 12 quart stock pot. Add the roasted beef bones.
Step 2
Add the remaining uncooked carrots, onions and celery to the stockpot.
Step 3
Cover with water, and simmer for two to three hours over medium-low heat.
Step 4
Remove from the heat and let cool. Remove the bones from the stock.
Step 5
Package the stock in freezer bags or freezer containers in one- to two-cup packages.
Tip
Strain the stock through a colander if you prefer beef broth. Package the same way as the stock.
To use the meat from the bones for other meals, separate the meat from the vegetables after the stock is cooked.
Use either the stock or the broth interchangeably in recipes calling for either ingredient.
Check out this related video from ExpertVillage on Youtube
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