I love to make food from scratch, it always taste better when everything is homemade. Why buy it when you can simply make it. Beef stock is one of those ingredients, most people just go out and buy. With this beef stock recipe, there will be no more need to buy it. Although making beef stock take several hours, it will make Your favorite dish taste ten times better.

Ingredients

• 6lb beef bones
• 1 large onion (sliced)
• 3 large carrots (chopped)
• 2 celery sticks (chopped)
• 1 large tomato
• 4oz parsnip (chopped)
• 4oz potatoes (cubed)
• 8 whole black peppercorns
• 4 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 garlic cloves

Preperation

Start by preheating the oven to 450°F and put the beef bones, onion and carrots in a large shallow roasting pan. Roast in the oven, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until the bones are browned, turning occasionally. Drain off any fat.  Then put the browned bones, onion and carrots in a large stockpot or heavy saucepan.

Pour 5fl oz water into the roasting pan and swirl around the pan. Pour this liquid into the soup pot. Next add the celery, tomato, parsnip, potatoes, peppercorns, parsley, bay leaf, salt, thyme and garlic, then pour in 4pt water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then skim the surface.

Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer gently for around five hours, skimming off the top from time to time as necessary. Carefully strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the meat, vegetables and seasonings. Leave the stock to cool completely, then skim off any fat from the surface and discard. Store the stock in the refrigerator and use within three days, or divide into portions and freeze until needed.