Veal Stock and demi-glace

[deltadoc]

Originally Posted by Chef Kaiser

hi doc,

thank, no misunderstanding, appreciated. In my 5th edition French copy (Escoffier), they dont add Sherry they add a young Madeira.

regards

Hi Chef Kaiser,
That (Sherry vs. Madeira) would be consistent with my first post where I mentioned different editions (Escoffier) mention different wines to finish off the demi-glace.

I should mention that I am not a chef, although i have been cooking for almost 50 years. I find that it is quite enjoyable to me to re-produce the classic traditional dishes as would have generally been found a century or so ago almost everywhere. It's kind of like in the movie "Crossroads" where the Juliard instructor says "The discipline of the classical is very exacting"....

Pretty much no one anywhere these days in a commercial sense does things in the traditional classical fashion, so for me to enjoy what haute cuisine must have been like in the days of the Titanic or Escoffier working in London, I resort to preparing the dishes myself for me and the spouse. Trouble is, I don't have access to many ingredients, and freshness is always a problem for some items. Lack of repetition in preparation of dishes on a daily basis assuredly makes my results less than perfect!~

Time to go to my day job.

Regards,
doc

[Chef Kaiser]

Originally Posted by deltadoc

Hi Chef Kaiser,
That (Sherry vs. Madeira) would be consistent with my first post where I mentioned different editions (Escoffier) mention different wines to finish off the demi-glace.

I should mention that I am not a chef, although i have been cooking for almost 50 years. I find that it is quite enjoyable to me to re-produce the classic traditional dishes as would have generally been found a century or so ago almost everywhere. It's kind of like in the movie "Crossroads" where the Juliard instructor says "The discipline of the classical is very exacting"....

Pretty much no one anywhere these days in a commercial sense does things in the traditional classical fashion, so for me to enjoy what haute cuisine must have been like in the days of the Titanic or Escoffier working in London, I resort to preparing the dishes myself for me and the spouse. Trouble is, I don't have access to many ingredients, and freshness is always a problem for some items. Lack of repetition in preparation of dishes on a daily basis assuredly makes my results less than perfect!~

Time to go to my day job.

Regards,
doc

Dear Doc,

i dont know how old you are, i am 44 turning 45 this year, but i believe age does not matter, as i understand what you say, as facts of commerce are clear to my eyes and their food quality, but unfortunatly the average can not see that anymore.

Dear Doc, i will post a new thread called Easter Vacation. Thank you for beeing honnest.

regards

hans

[gonefishin]

Originally Posted by skilletlicker

Plongeur, I appreciate your suggestion but I've quit the veal hunt. Honestly, I've found wives with less effort than I put into that search.

Any suggestions on developing a decent brown stock with what is available to the average retail shopper in middle America would be a great service to many!

Skilletlicker...any updates? What did you come up with?


What are the rules to shipping...say veal bones? anyone know?


thanks,
dan

[skilletlicker]

Originally Posted by gonefishin

Skilletlicker...any updates? What did you come up with?
...

Thanks for asking.

I roasted 2 beef shanks, about 7 lbs. total, in 1" slices. Added a few herb and spices and 2 onions, 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks; simmered without stirring for several hours in enough water to cover. I ended up with about 2 qt. of very thick stock. There was either very little fat or the fat didn't separate in the ice box like I'm used to.

I was pretty satisfied with the first attempt at beef stock, but I suspect that I should have gotten more volume from that amount of meat.

I've given up looking for veal bones or feet. Veal shanks can be ordered but for something like $20 a lb which is too rich for my blood. Beef knuckles and necks are also unavailable. It seems my best choice for beef stock is shanks or tails.

[foodpump]

If you can get tails, go for it. Alot more meat (meat=flavour & body) in the tails as well as natural gelatin.

And now, a non-cooking but very important related issue. After straining the stock, freeze the bones in a garabge bag, wait unil the night before garbage pickup, an then toss the bones out.
Should you not follow this advice, the dogs, cats, and any other animals (racoons especially, I swear those guys have little blackberries telling them who has the most choice garbage...) will knock over your cans, make a mess, and won't even compliment you on your hard work!

[gonefishin]

Originally Posted by foodpump

If you can get tails, go for it. Alot more meat (meat=flavour & body) in the tails as well as natural gelatin.

And now, a non-cooking but very important related issue. After straining the stock, freeze the bones in a garabge bag, wait unil the night before garbage pickup, an then toss the bones out.
Should you not follow this advice, the dogs, cats, and any other animals (racoons especially, I swear those guys have little blackberries telling them who has the most choice garbage...) will knock over your cans, make a mess, and won't even compliment you on your hard work!

uh! did you say raccoons? Yes...I've run into this problem (they actually have always loved my garbage...but I usually always cook with bone-in products. I'll definitely be keeping this piece of information handy Although I did buy one of those Tupperware half/sheds to keep the raccoons out. SO far this is the ONLY thing that's worked. But I'll keep your advice on throwing bones out stored away for another day...should I ever have the raccoons come back.

I suppose I should feel a bit lucky that the Polish deli by me has assorted veal bones (usually tails and shanks) for $0.99/pound. I suppose that's one of our gifts for not having fresh seafood


take care all...and keep the raccoons away

dan

[skilletlicker]

Originally Posted by gonefishin

...I suppose I should feel a bit lucky that the Polish deli by me has assorted veal bones (usually tails and shanks) for $0.99/pound....

That is a great price. In my area the megamart that always has beef shanks and oxtails sells beef shank (bones only) for .99/lb.

Originally Posted by foodpump

Should you not follow this advice, the dogs, cats, and any other animals (racoons especially, I swear those guys have little blackberries telling them who has the most choice garbage...) will knock over your cans, make a mess, and won't even compliment you on your hard work!

Maybe I could use the beef bones as bait and make racoon stock.

[Grumio]

See also the thread "stock question" (where my question didn't really get answered...) about pork stock.

I've made a perfectly nice stock with pork neck bones (plentiful, cheap, fresh) & chicken feet. Though after simmering for 8 hours those chicken feet really truly look like something out of a horror movie. Little baby-***** hands....

[deltadoc]

Granny (Clampett) would only approve of road-kill racoon for any cooking purposes. It's been "aged"!

doc

[skilletlicker]

Originally Posted by Grumio

...I've made a perfectly nice stock with pork neck bones (plentiful, cheap, fresh) & chicken feet. Though after simmering for 8 hours those chicken feet really truly look like something out of a horror movie. Little baby-***** hands....

I might have missed them, but don't recall chicken feet in the market. Out of idle curiosity; how much a pound? I don't recall seeing pork neck bones either.

Although it may not be stock I save the liquid left over from braised pork butt and use it like I might a pork stock. Also I like the drippings from baked ham in beans.

Originally Posted by deltadoc

Granny (Clampett) would only approve of road-kill racoon for any cooking purposes. It's been "aged"!

doc

I want the Granny Clampett cookbook.

The offended gourmands have my apologies in advance!

[Grumio]

Originally Posted by skilletlicker

I might have missed them, but don't recall chicken feet in the market. Out of idle curiosity; how much a pound? I don't recall seeing pork neck bones either.

The chicken feet were .99/lb; the pork neck bones were .69/lb. This was at a market (Jons) in Los Angeles that caters to... well, the folks in East Hollywood. Armenians, Russians, Thais, Mexicans, Salvadorans, and unemployed actors.