Beef Stock

Occasionally when you walk round the supermarket you'll sometimes see random animal bones in the chiller cabinets. They might be lamb or beef bones, ham shanks, the left-overs from whatever the butcher has been hacking apart.

Anyway, I buy these and stick them in the freezer. It just so happened I had quite a few packets of beef bones so I figured I'd make some beef stock whilst I had the free time.

Ingredients:

Beef Bones - I had four packets at about 50p a pack, there was about three actual bones in a pack
2 Onions
1 Leek
1 Celery Stalk
2-3 Carrots chopped into thirds
A few garlic Cloves
2-3 Bay Leaves

Howto:

You want to rub the bones in a little oil, and roast for about 40 mins, turning once so you get some nice colour on the bones.

Add all the veg into a stock pot (or massive pan if you don't have one) and fry for 3-4 minutes until you get a bit of colour on the veg, then add in the roasted bones, and 3-5 litres of water, depending how big your pot is.

Add a bit of water into the roasting tray and scrape off all the juices, and add that water as well - it will add flavour to the stock.

Now simmer for as long as possible, at least 6 hours.

Here's a picture before it was strained, doesn't look so appetising yet it will be, honest...