In a previous post featured Stocks 101, all about the ease, affordability, and impact of making a great stock from scratch. Since we’ve already covered making chicken stock, the next stock in your repertoire should be a beef or veal stock.
Everyone should make a true veal stock at least once to experience the wonder of the flavor it imparts to a dish. Veal stock is typically used as the base for French onion soup and in meat sauces. Cookbook author and food writer Michael Ruhlman says that veal stock has the “qualities of humility and generosity—it brings out and expands other flavors without calling attention to itself” and this is true. Take a small amount of veal stock demi-glace, swirl it with butter, and you have an instant sauce for homemade pasta. Add shallots to that swirl and it’s perfect over a grilled steak. Veal stock and red wine with butter makes a delicious pan sauce for a rich fish such as salmon and it pairs well with vegetables such as mushrooms or braised artichokes and fennel.
Given that veal bones are more expensive than beef bones and both come from a cow, you might wonder if there is a difference. There is. Beef stock is perfectly fine for a hearty beef stew or a beef and barley soup, but it’s the added gelatin in veal bones that adds that subtle extra richness and silky texture when veal stock is used in sauces.
Veal bones naturally contain more gelatine than beef bones, which gives the stock body. The resulting stock has a milder flavour than beef (which can sometimes be overpowering) and is absolutely packed with umami, making it a great base for many dishes.
Everyone should make a true veal stock at least once to experience the wonder of the flavor it imparts to a dish. Veal stock is typically used as the base for French onion soup and in meat sauces. Cookbook author and food writer Michael Ruhlman says that veal stock has the “qualities of humility and generosity—it brings out and expands other flavors without calling attention to itself” and this is true. Take a small amount of veal stock demi-glace, swirl it with butter, and you have an instant sauce for homemade pasta. Add shallots to that swirl and it’s perfect over a grilled steak. Veal stock and red wine with butter makes a delicious pan sauce for a rich fish such as salmon and it pairs well with vegetables such as mushrooms or braised artichokes and fennel.
In a previous post featured Stocks 101, all about the ease, affordability, and impact of making a great stock from scratch. Since we’ve already covered making chicken stock, the next stock in your repertoire should be a beef or veal stock.
Given that veal bones are more expensive than beef bones and both come from a cow, you might wonder if there is a difference. There is. Beef stock is perfectly fine for a hearty beef stew or a beef and barley soup, but it’s the added gelatin in veal bones that adds that subtle extra richness and silky texture when veal stock is used in sauces.
Most often what I do is to simply reduce the beef stock a little more than I would have reduced a veal stock. This is an easy way to create a flavourful and full bodied stock when you don’t have access to veal bones. Like me — floating veal-boneless here on our little rock in the sea.
Free-range veal is definitely an option — less controversial than their formula-fed, white-fleshed cousins whose praises Chef P continually sang. And although the flesh of the free-range is much darker and (I’m told) has a much more substantial flavour than that of the formula-fed, I doubt very much that there is a significant difference in their bones.
You see, young bones contain a higher percentage of cartilage and other connective tissue than older ones. And the collagen in the connective tissues is converted to gelatin and water during the cooking process. When it’s all finished, the higher the gelatin content of the stock, the richer and more full bodied the stock. The younger the animal, the better the stock.
Classic and Essential Beef Stock | Chef Jean-Pierre
FAQ
Can you substitute beef stock for veal stock?
What can I use veal stock for?
What is a stock made from beef or veal?
What is white veal stock used for?
What is the difference between veal stock and broth?
While a broth can be very flavorful, a stock delivers a rich mouthfeel courtesy of the gelatin slowly extracted from the bones. Along with the depth of flavor, gelatin extraction is the goal of stock making. Rule number one: don’t rush it. For veal stock, take the time to brown the bones and roast the vegetables.
Is there a difference between veal bones and beef bones?
Veal stock and red wine with butter makes a delicious pan sauce for a rich fish such as salmon and it pairs well with vegetables such as mushrooms or braised artichokes and fennel. Given that veal bones are more expensive than beef bones and both come from a cow, you might wonder if there is a difference. There is.
What is veal stock?
Veal stock is made by cooking veal bones with a small amount of veal meat, mirepoix (the French culinary term for a mixture of onions, carrots, and celery stalks), and aromatics (like bay leaves or black peppercorns) in water. The solids are strained, leaving a stock base for stews, soups, braises, and sauces.
Can you make veal stock with beef bones?
Culinary students get a lot of training in making veal stock since the milder flavor of veal marries with a wider variety of foods, but it is much easier for a home cook to find beef bones, so you may want to try your hand at beef stock. The ingredient list and procedure are identical, regardless.