| Stock the Larder & Beef it Up!

Author / John

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Take stock Power Athletes, pun intended. You make it through the Field Strong workouts on a daily basis don’t tell me you’re going to let a stockpot intimidate you? I didn’t think so.

Even in Florida it is officially fall. I smell cooler days and beef stew simmering on the stove, shepherd’s pie, pot roast and other savory seasonal delights. Most of these dishes will require beef stock. You can buy some but the conventional brands will be loaded with msg, chemicals and who knows what other laboratory made toxins. The organic brands found in health food stores are better and will do in a pinch but nothing beats homemade. . .

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Pick a weekend day you’ll be hanging at the house. Start with some beef soup bones (meaty ones, knuckle bones, marrow bones, a combo is best and preferably from a grass fed cow). Roast them at 425 for about 30 min turning once or until they are nice and brown along with a large onion and about 3 cut up carrots. Reserve any juices.

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Place the roasted bones and vegetables along with the reserved juices into a large stock pot. Add 2 coarsely chopped celery stocks, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 6 black peppercorns, several sprigs of fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf, approximately 12 cups of filtered water (or enough to cover) and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (to draw out the minerals). Let sit for 30-45 min. Bring the stock to a boil, remove any scum that surfaces to the top and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 6-12 hours.

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Strain the stock using cheesecloth and pour into Mason jars. Discard the meat and vegetables or reserve for other uses. Let cool. I store in 1, 2 and 4 cup mason jars in the freezer that way I have them available for whatever quantities I may need. Some people prefer to refrigerate overnight and skim any fat off the top. I personally like the flavor that a little fat imparts into my stock.

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Recipe & Ingredients

5-7 lbs of meaty grass fed beef bones*
4 or more quarts cold water
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1-2 onions, quartered
2-3 carrots, cut into1-2” pieces
2-3 celery ribs w/ leaves, cut into 1-2” pieces
Several sprigs fresh thyme tied together
6-8 black peppercorns
1-2 bay leaves
1 bunch fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 425; place all meat and bones along with the carrots and onions in a shallow roasting pan. Roast for about 45 mins, turning once halfway through until nicely browned. Once browned place into a large stock pot along with any accumulated juices. Add the vinegar and the water. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile take ½ cup water and add to roasting pan. Place over 1-2 burners on low heat and stir with a spatula to loosen any browned bits. Add to the stock pot.

Add the celery, thyme, peppercorns and bay leaves. Put the heat on high and bring the pot to a boil. Spoon off any scum that rises to the top. After skimming, reduce heat and simmer stock for at least 6 hours and as long as 12. Just before finishing, add the parsley and simmer another 10 minutes.

Check out my other recipes & tips at Paula Lean Primal Queen!

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AUTHOR

John

John Welbourn is CEO of Power Athlete and Fuse Move. He is also creator of the online training phenomena, Johnnie WOD. He is a 9 year veteran of the NFL. John was drafted with the 97th pick in 1999 NFL Draft and went on to be a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2003, appearing in 3 NFC Championship games, and for starter for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2004-2007. In 2008, he played with the New England Patriots until an injury ended his season early with him retiring in 2009. Over the course of his career, John has started over 100 games and has 10 play-off appearances. He was a four year lettermen while playing football at the University of California at Berkeley. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Rhetoric in 1998. John has worked with the MLB, NFL, NHL, Olympic athletes and Military. He travels the world lecturing on performance and nutrition for Power Athlete. You can catch up with John as his personal blog on training, food and life, Talk To Me Johnnie and at Power Athlete.

6 Comments

  1. DavidMck on November 5, 2014 at 6:12 pm

    Paula, I love making stock. I save all my bones, Use them right away or throw them In the freezer and use um when I can. A lot of times Ill even make small batches of stock with if I don’t have large bones, once you get in the groove, its such a useful ingredient. So good for you too! Chicken, pork, or beef, they’re all good. I love using Neck bone for pot liquor greens too.

  2. Dub C on November 6, 2014 at 8:22 am

    Great stuff, Paula.

    For those who can’t always steward a pot for 7+ hours, here’s my recommendation.

    Simmer for as long as you can, then preheat your oven to 450, cover the pot, put it in the oven, turn the oven off, and leave it in there until you can return.

    This is my solution if we have a kids soccer game, want to go for a walk, or if we want to start the stock after dinner, then put it in the warm oven overnight, and bottle in the morning.

    If you are using a good pot, it should stay warm for at least several hours in the warm oven.

  3. Ingo B on November 6, 2014 at 8:31 am

    The simplest homemade stock ALWAYS tastes better than the best packaged kind. Always.

    I ~think~ you can do this in a slow cooker for those who like to set it and forget it.

    Legit post. Thanks for sharing.

  4. Paula on November 6, 2014 at 9:20 am

    @David Mck I even save my onion tops and celery that’s on the edge in a bag in my freezer along with bones. You’ve got me craving some pot liquor greens with cornbread!

    @Dub C & Ingo B great time saving suggestions

    I’m impressed! Who’d have thought all these good tips on stock making from dudes?

  5. Ingo B on November 6, 2014 at 2:46 pm

    Best thing my mom did was insist I help her with meal prep when I was a kid.

    It really paid off in HS and college. When the chicks hear you cooked something for the potluck yourself, they get all hot n’ bothered.

  6. Pollack on November 7, 2014 at 5:30 am

    Anyone who wants to save more time should invest in a pressure cooker. An hour under pressure and you get some damn tasty broth (and super soft bones to eat, if you’re into that). And it’s also super useful for cooking in general.

    Also, oxtail makes for a good broth.

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