How can I make a stock both rich AND flavorful?

Question

I was making this vietnamese beef stock called Pho and after I was done, I tasted it and it tasted like WATER! I added so many bones...probably about 5 pounds of them. The stock was rich as hell...it turned into an almost rock hard jelly when I chilled it. I keep hearing that you should add more bones to the stock to make it more flavorful but my theory is that the richness suppresses the flavor of the stock. I use ginger, oxtails, onions, bay leaf, and various spices to flavor my stock...what should I do to make a stock that tastes AND feels good?

This recipe doesn't call for roasting bones because it aims for a kind of clear beef broth

Answer 1

Roasting is near essential in my experience. Try to roast to a bare minimum, or try boiling in a small amount of water and then draining into a fresh pot. The idea of the red wine is one of my favorites but you definitely get a color. The almost searing might work. You definitely used to many bones unless your feeding a small army.

Answer 2

Stock...

Roast the bones at a high temp 450 degrees until the marrow starts to ooze out. Roat your mirpiox (celery, onions, and carrots) until they start to carmalize. Place the roasted mirpiox into a large stock pot and put the bones on top of the mirpiox. This will keep the roasted veggies submerged for ultimate flavor reduction. Deglaze the pan you roasted the bones in with a red wine and scrape oany stuck particles and marrow and ad to the stock pot. Fill the stoc pot with COLD WATER!! Hot water seals the pores in the bones and you won't get the flavor you desire. Now add your fresh herbs & spices such as parsley, thyme, bay leaf and whole pepper corns. NO SALT!!! Stir in 1 cup of tomato paste. Bring up to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for a minimum of 6 hours. I prefer 8 hours. Good luck and happy cooking.

Answer 3

Are you roasting the bones first? That's how you get the flavor out of them and how you "tame" the gelatin. The rest of your recipe sounds wonderful!

Answer 4

try not to add water to it at beef broth instead and it depends on what type of bones you use also.

Answer 5

a dollop of butter to any broth adds the secret touch!