Categories
METHODS

BEEF STOCK

2 kg/4.4 lbs beef bones, cut into small pieces
2 pig’s trotters, cleaned thoroughly and split in half (ask your butcher to do it for you)
2 tablespoons/30 ml oil
2 small brown onions, skin on, roughly chopped
3 cm/1.2 in piece of ginger, bruised and chopped
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
star anise
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole nutmeg
2 tablespoons/30 ml Asian fish sauce

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
Place the beef bones and the trotters on an oven tray and roast in the preheated oven until browned all over.  In a large stockpot, heat the oil and lightly fry the onions and ginger, then add the beef bones and trotters and the rest of the ingredients.  Add 4 liters/8.5 pts cold water, and bring to the boil.  Simmer gently over low-medium heat and regularly skim the brown foam that forms on the surface.  Simmer for 4 hours, adding enough water to keep the contents submerged, then remove from the heat.

Cool to room temperature, then strain, do not press down on the solids as this will cause the stock to become cloudy.  Cover and refrigerate until cold, then remove the fat from the surface. Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze in smaller containers for up to 3 months.  Discard the solids.

STELLA's avatar

By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.