One weekend, countless future meals.
Some weekends aren’t about making dinner at all. They’re about filling the freezer and laying the groundwork for months of cooking ahead. Veal stock is one of those projects I look forward to making. It takes time, but every soup, sauce, stew, and braise that follows is better because of it.
Making veal stock isn’t difficul, but it does require patience. I spent a rainy weekend roasting bones, caramelizing vegetables, deglazing pans, and letting two stock pots quietly simmer for hours. By the end, my freezer was stocked with rich homemade veal stock and a small batch of demi-glace ready for future sauces and braises.
It’s one of those projects that reminds me good cooking often begins long before the recipe itself.
Gathering the Ingredients
A trip to my local butcher, a bag full of veal bones, and the classic foundation of onions, carrots, celery, and leeks.
Preparing the Vegetables
Everything was cut into large pieces before roasting to develop deep caramelized flavor.
The Bones from MeatBros Lux
Six kilograms of veal leg bones would become the base of the stock.
Roasting the Vegetables & Bones
Roasting the bones and vegetables creates the rich color and depth that makes homemade stock so different from anything you can buy.
Don’t Forget the Fond
Every browned bit left on the roasting pan is packed with flavor. Deglazing the pans is one of the most satisfying steps in the entire process.
Into the Stock Pots Ready for Water
Roasted bones, vegetables, herbs, peppercorns, and cold water.
Then comes the hardest part…
Waiting.
A Slow Simmer
The stock quietly simmered for most of the day while the kitchen filled with the aroma of roasted vegetables and veal.
Finished Stock
After straining and chilling, the stock developed a rich amber color.
Ready for the Freezer
Several bags of stock went into the freezer, along with a small container of demi-glace for sauces.
These are future soups, braises, gravies, stews, and pasta dishes waiting to happen.
What I Learned
• Roasting both the bones and vegetables makes a tremendous difference in flavor.
• Never skip deglazing the roasting pans. You’ll leave incredible flavor behind.
• Homemade stock takes time, about 8 to 12 hours, but very little active work.
• Freezing stock in meal-sized portions makes it easy to use whenever I need it.
Liz 'N Lux 