Stock From Pork Bones

Intro: Stock From Pork Bones

When you cook with pork, chicken, duck or beef, don't throw out the bones! Clean out your crisper-that carrot that's getting soft, the half an onion, the celery heart that's still left- toss those in the pot as well. And when you cook with fresh herbs, keep your stems and put these into a stock. Someone had recently given me some apples from their tree and so I chopped up a few and added them. Slow cook them all together, add salt, pepper, a bay leaf and a splash of white wine and you have great stock for soups, stews, risotto, and braising. Store bought stocks can get expensive, and often have a lot of MSG or other additives. We butchered a whole pig, and so used the bones and trotters for stock.

STEP 1: Chop Bones

Some of the bones you can snap with your hands, but for the others, you'll want a cleaver. Chop these and split the hooves or trotters. Add them to a deep pot.

STEP 2: Add Vegetables

Roughly cut onions, carrots, celery and apples and add to the pot. Cover it with water and pressure cook for 3 hours, or simmer for 8 hours. Add salt, pepper, bay leaves and paprika.

STEP 3: Strain the Stock

After you've pressure cooked or slow cooked the stock, strain it with a colander. Discard the bones, vegetables and herbs.

STEP 4: Store and Use the Stock

Put the stock in glass mason jars or plastic containers and store for up to a year. It should keep refrigerated for a few weeks. I'll soon be publishing an Instructable on using pork stock to make tamales and farro risotto.

Comments

[ZaneEricB]

Side note: Stock making is a slow, house warming, amazing smelling work of art. It is the simplest, most basic, neccesity of any kitchen... the use of scraps here is the best way (unless composting) to utilize kitchen scrap. That said, stock is HOT HOT HOT, it has been simmering for hours and can take hours to cool ...

In order to cool the stock down so that you do not ruin your fridge, crisper, icebox... special "ice paddles" are available at kitchen warehouses... OR you could use double packed freezer ziplock bags that have been filled with water and frozen... make sure your stock is cooled down to room temp before placing in the fridge... if you are canning the stock in mason jars...it is OK NOT to cool it...

just a tip. Cheers.

[rammuk]

Thank you. Do you skim off the fat from the top after it's refigerated?

[ZaneEricB]

When making stock the fat seperates and floats to the top once the stock has cooled. You can "break off" the fat at the top and use it for other awesome recipes in the kitchen (such as the tamales in the picture). On the other hand, if you are making Pho, i suggest leaving in the fat... it makes the soup just that much better.

[rammuk]

'refrigerated' :)

[seamster]

Nicely done.

That shot of the tamale looks so good!