Beef Stock For Soup Recipe

Combine ingredients in a 5- to 6-quart soup kettle. Bring to boil slowly and boil gently until meat is tender and begins to separate from bones. This will take about 2 hours. Remove foam as it forms on surface (a soup strainer or a piece of dampened paper towel will work fairly well). Remove soup meat and bones to a platter and let cool. Strain soup through fine strainer or coarse cheese cloth dampened and set in strainer. (We like to prepare the stock to this point, then let it stand overnight in refrigerator; fat will rise to surface and harden so that it can all be removed. If you prefer, a fat skimmer or whisk may be used to remove what can be captured from the hot soup.) When ready to prepare soup, return stock to the kettle and add desired ingredients. Cut the meat from the soup bones; cut away the fat, and slice the lean into bite-size pieces. Reheat in the soup with vegetables for a main meal vegetable soup. This stock and this meat make our very favorite base for hearty home-made vegetable soup. Add vegetables as desired, or use the following recipe.