basic beef stock

This is a made-from-scratch recipe. (Mmmm!) If you want, you can double or quadruple the stock ingredients to make an extra-large batch of beef stock that can then be frozen into serving portions for later use. Just reheat a portion of stock, add some meat, vegetables and noodles, and enjoy!

Makes about 8 cups

1 lb Beef bones with marrow
1 lb Oxtails
1/4 lb Short ribs
1/2 Onion, unpeeled, studded with 2 whole cloves
1 Shallot, unpeeled
1 Ginger root, thumb-size, sliced or slivered
2 Star anise
1 Parsnip, cut in large chunks
1 Cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp Salt

Clean the bones, oxtails and ribs under cold running water then place them in a large stockpot and add enough water to cover. Bring the water to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Drain. Rinse the pot and the bones, then return the bones to the stockpot and add 2 quarts of water. Again bring the water to a boil. Stir the bones every so often. As foam and fat rise to the surface, skim off and remove. Continue skimming until no more foam forms. Add 1 more quart of water to the stockpot, bring it to a boil and skim off any remaining residue. Turn heat to low and simmer.

Char the clove-studded onion, shallot and ginger until fragrant. In a double-thickness of cheesecloth, tie the charred vegetables, the star anise and cinnamon stick together. Add the bouquet, the parsnip and salt to the simmering stock. Continue simmering for 1 hour.

Remove the short ribs from the stock, cool, then remove the meat from the bones. Reserve the meat, but return the bones to the stockpot. Simmer the broth, uncovered, for 4-6 hours. As the liquid boils away, add enough new water to maintain 2 quarts of liquid in the stockpot.

When the broth is ready, remove and discard the bones. Strain the broth into a clean pot to remove the bouquet and particles. (You may freeze the broth at this point into individual serving portions of 1 - 2 cups each.)