How to make meat broth or dark background

How to make a meat broth or dark background

The meat stock or dark background is one of the basic and essential preparations of the kitchen on which the success of many other dishes depend.

Perhaps as important as chicken broth , fish stock or fumet, or vegetable broth . They are the foundations of a good kitchen.

It can be consumed as it is or in soup and it may leave us as new because it has tremendous flavor power, although the most common is to use it as an ingredient in other recipes in which it plays an important role.

Unlike other wines, the dark background gets its name from the characteristic color it has.

The ingredients are roasted in the oven or in a casserole, transferring the toast to the liquid in which they are then cooked. Generally it is made only with bones and beef, in addition to carrots, onions, leeks, turnips and tomatoes , although you can add some ham or chicken bones if we have them.

The more bones, the tastier it will be, so always ask your butcher to keep the bones of the meat you buy and to cut up those of that ham that you have already given a good account of.

All of them can be frozen and, when you have enough, get down to work with this recipe that couldn’t be easier. Not to mention the joys it will bring you.

Bake before the broth

1. We wash the bones well to remove traces of blood and other impurities. We dry and place on a baking tray.
2. We wash, peel and chop all the vegetables: the garlic cloves, the onion, the carrots, the tomato, the leek, the celery stick and the turnip.
3. We place on the baking sheet along with the bones.
4. We water with a squirt of extra virgin olive oil and stir well so that all the ingredients are oiled.
5. We put the tray in the oven, preheated to 220º C, and toast the bones and vegetables for 30 minutes. We stir from time to time so that they are browned equally.

Preparation of meat stock or dark background

1. Transfer everything to a large pot and add the bay leaves, peppercorns and approximately 4 liters of water.
2. The amount will depend on the capacity of the pot, but the bigger it is, the better.
3. We cook over very low heat for 1 hour and a half, defoaming to remove impurities if necessary.
4. After the cooking time has elapsed, remove the bones and vegetables, draining well to avoid wasting any broth.
5. Then strain the broth and let cool before moving to the fridge where we will leave a few hours for the fat to solidify and we can remove it better.
6. Once the broth is degreased, we can use it to consume as soup or as an ingredient in other preparations: rice, sauces, croquettes, vegetable dishes, etc.

Be sure to see all the photos of the step by step of this meat broth recipe.

Do not miss any detail so that it is delicious, I assure you that you are going to prepare it a lot of times. There is a before and after of this broth.

Tips for a perfect meat stock or dark background

• The well-covered meat stock is kept in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, but it should be boiled again every 3 or 4 days so that it does not sour.
• If we are not going to use all the meat stock or dark bottom, we can freeze it in bags suitable for freezing and / or in trays for ice cubes that, when frozen, we can go to plastic bags and label. It lasts in good condition for 3 months.
• It is important to cook over very low heat and that the liquid does not come to a boil. The temperature should remain like this throughout the rest of the cooking so that the fat and foam do not mix with the broth and make it cloudy.
• When straining the broth we can use a cheesecloth or gauze to remove any impurities that remain after cooking.
• The meat can be saved to make croquettes.