Homemade beef stock is easy to make. This recipe makes a deep, rich stock that makes the best soups and stews, with simple everyday ingredients. It tastes 100 times better than boxed stock and will completely up-your-soup game! This post has been updated from October 2015 to improve the reader experience.
Homemade Beef Stock Recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients.
Beef Stock
Did you know January is National Soup Month?!! YAY!!! That means I'll be posting some splendid soup recipes that are flavorful and delicious!
I'm also going to share how to make the BEST home-cooked, restaurant quality meals that are warm and wonderful. Let's cozy up to wintertime with a great bowl of soup!! For all of my tips and soup making tricks, check out Homemade Soup; A Complete Guide.
One of my best tips to make the best soups and stews starts with a great broth. And that's how we're kicking off the month. My Homemade Beef Stock Recipe makes for a thick flavorful broth that will make any soup taste even better!
This stock was made from the bones leftover from our prime rib a couple weeks ago! I removed the ribs, wrapped them well and froze them. They are perfect to make beef stock! They were from this perfect BEST Beef Noodle Soup Recipe!!
Stock is made with everyday ingredients that simmer together to meld all the flavors perfectly!
Homemade Beef Stock Ingredients
- beef bones
- onions
- celery
- carrots
- parsley
- garlic
- bay leaves
- fresh rosemary
- tomato paste
- red wine
- peppercorns
- salt
The vegetables you'll need for beef stock
Homemade Beef Stock
Is there a difference between beef broth and beef stock?
A stock is simmered longer than broth to extract every bit of flavor possible from the beef bones and aromatics!
What makes the stock bitter?
Onion peels make homemade stock bitter. I used to never peel onions when making stock and sometimes it would have a bitter taste. After trial, error and experimentation, I realized the bitterness came from the onion skins.
In my experience, there's really no way to correct it once it becomes bitter.
What can I make with homemade stock?
You can make some of the BEST soups and stews, of course! I'll be posting an amazing recipe for Beef Noodle Soup soon, but other favorites are;
- Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup
- Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup
- Easy Lasagna Soup Recipe
- Beef Tips with Gravy Recipe
Can you buy beef stock?
You bet! There are many options for stock at the store. If you choose to purchase stock (and I sometimes do also - no judgment!), be sure to check the sodium level on the side of the box. An inexpensive broth is often full of sodium and really isn't that good for you.
My recipe adds red wine & tomato paste to give the stock an incredible depth of flavor that you won't get out of a box. Yep.....I understand homemade stock is an investment in time, but the result is a rich, delicious beef stock that's really worth the time & effort.
Why do you roast the bones?
- Does roasting the bones sounds like a waste of time and just an extra step? No, not at all! Roasting the bones will bring out an extra layer of flavor! And really that's what this is all about, right?!
Slowly simmering everything together makes for one tasty stock!
Beef Stock Recipe
How do you reduce beef broth?
- Place the pot on the stove tightly covered and simmer the broth for four hours.
How do you remove the fat from the top of the broth?
After cooking and straining the broth, it will most likely have a layer of fat on the top of the broth. There are a couple of easy ways to remove it;
- Using a spoon or ladle, scoop the fat off the top.
- Refrigerate the stock. The fats will solidify and can easily be removed.
- Using a fat separator.
I use a fat separator to remove the fat from the stock. It easily eliminates it and you are rewarded with quarts of delicious stock. They range in price from $10-$45 dollars.
If a separator is not in the budget, allow the stock to cool completely and refrigerate overnight. The next day, you'll be able to easily skim the fat off the top of the stock.
How to use a fat separator?
- Make sure the spout stopper and strainer are in place.
- Pour the stock or pan drippings into the fat separator.
- Allow the drippings to rest, the fat will rise to the top.
- Slowly pour the separated broth into a container.
- Discard the remaining fat.
How to make Beef Stock, step-by-step
How to make Beef Stock
How to make Beef stock Recipe
- For raw beef bones - preheat your oven. Put the bones into a large stock pot and bake. (If you’re using leftover beef bones that have already been cooked, omit this step.)
- Remove from the oven & spread tomato paste over the bones, add the vegetables and return it to the oven and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes.
- Remove it from the oven and place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Add the seasoning. Deglaze the pan with wine, scraping all of the charred bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add the water, cover tightly and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover to vent and simmer on the stove for four hours.
- After four hours, remove from the stove and allow to cool.
- Strain out the bones and vegetables and discard.
What is the best way to store broth?
Store in quarter jars in the freezer until you're ready to use. Well sealed, this will keep over six months in the freezer.
Please leave a five-star rating below for this rich and flavorful Beef Stock Recipe! Also, when you're cooking up my recipes, I'd love it if you would tag me on Instagram @bowl_me_over or #bowlmeover!!
More Homemade Stock Recipes!
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This is the fat separator I recommend!
Beef Stock
Ingredients
- lbs beef bones 3-4
- 3 onions peeled and quartered
- 4 stalks celery cut into thirds
- 4 carrots cut into thirds
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 1 head of garlic entire head, sliced half
- 2 leaves bay
- 4-5 sprigs rosemary fresh
- 1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
- 1 bottle red wine
- 1 teaspoon heaping of whole peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons salt or omit if you prefer
- 16 cups water
Instructions
- If you are using leftover beef bones and they are already cooked omit this step. If not, preheat your oven to 375 & put the bones into a large stock pot and bake them for 45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Spread tomato paste over the bones. Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic into the pot. Return the pot to the oven and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes.
- Remove it from the oven and place it on the stove on medium-high heat. Add the bay leaves, rosemary, peppercorns and salt to the stock pot. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping all of the charred bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add water, cover tightly and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover to vent and simmer on the stove for four hours.
- After four hours turn the stove off and allow the pot to cool. Once cool, strain out the bones and vegetables and discard.
- I recommend storing the stock in four cup containers and freeze until you're ready to use.
