If you are going to invest in stocks then most certainly invest some time and make them yourself. Beef or Veal broth can be made into a classic leading sauces, meaning you can make a multitude of sauces from this base. After spending this time the product can be frozen in small batches in containers or in ice cube trays for instant flavoring for future dishes.
Stocks are the result of extracting flavor and nutrients into water. When making a stock you infuse then reduce, this results in an intense flavor. The reduction process involves evaporating the excess water to the desired consistency or viscosity. French chefs for years have used this process to create "Fond de veau", this is the backbone of all classical brown sauces. A semi neutral sauce that has been used on meat, chicken and rich seafood preparations. The pioneer of the kitchen brigade and making recipes consistent for hotels was August Escoffier. His preparations where an Espagñol was prepared and then boiled further with brown stock.
So veal stock is the first reduction after the infusion, Demi Glace (or half glaze) is another reduction with a starch thickened brown sauce known as Espagnole. Here the half glaze (demi-glace) is a straight reduction or an optional thickening with a starch. (if fully reduced with no starch it is known as Glace de Viande). Restaurant chefs can simmer these mixtures for as long as three day to fully extract and reduce large pots to a syrupy flavorful glaze.
Many different chefs also favor different cuts of meat (shins, knuckles, neck bones) and different starches (flour, cornstarch, arrowroot) and sometimes even add bacon rinds or pig hooves for added flavor or gelatin. Also cooking a brown roux (fat and flour toasted to a brown nutty flavor) for a long period of time can decrease the thickening power. So the other thickening agents are added in addition or in place of the roux, like cornstarch or arrowroot.
Demi-Glace Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 pounds veal shins, knuckle bones or necks
- 1 poundpigs foot or 2 inch slab bacon or ham rind
- 2 each spanish onion
- 2 each carrot
- 4 ribs celery
- 1 head garlic — split in half
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 1/2 bunch parsley stems
- 2 each bay leaf
- 5 wholepeppercorns
- 3/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 Tbl. Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Directions:
- Put bones in roasting pan, sprinkle with kosher salt and roast at 350° until nice and brown.(good 45 minutes in total)
- After 25-30 minutes spread half the tomato paste on the bones
- Place the finished bones in a large stockpot and cover with 5 quarts water, reserving any rendered oil
- Add some water to the bottom of the roasting pan and scrape any brown bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the thyme, parsley, remaining tomato paste and bay leaves to the pot as well.
- Heat a large skillet with the rendered fat (1/2 cup is needed, supplement oil if not enough)
- Dice vegetables and cook in the pan until browned. (if using pig foot dust in flour and add as well, if not chop the bacon or ham rind and asdd to the vegetables)
- Add the flour to the mixture and cook until hazelnut colored.
- Add a quart of water and whisk, then add to the veal bone stockpot.
- Simmer (don't boil) for a few hours to extract flavor, skimming any oil that comes to the top.
- Strain the mixture (you may reserve the bones for a second cooking****)
- Re-boil the brown sauce, mix the wine and cornstarch and add to the mixture to thicken.
You can cool and freeze the mixture at this point. (Further reduction for viscosity will be needed)
**** note- a "Remuage, Remouillage" or second cooking of the bones with as small can of V-8 and some more spices can be done to create another light brown stock. It wont have the gelatin or rich flavor of the first. Some chefs add this to the first cooking and reduce together.
