Homemade Stock Recipe

“Bones from good meat, veggie and herb scraps, parmesan rinds... they all go into the "bone bag" in the freezer. Then, every so often, into the pressure cooker (or pot, pre-craze) along with a bay leaf and any fresh veg I need to use up. (And water. don't sue me.) The classic learned-from-grandma version is chicken with onion, carrot, and parsley (kosher veal neckbone optional), but really any combo of bone/allium/root veg/savory herb will do. Strain it, compost the goop, and you've got yourself a pot of gold. It's SO much better than storebought; My husband calls it "the magic ingredient." Soup, sure. Sauce, yes. Also pasta, rice, hell, a cocktail... anything that wants a little more yum. It makes me feel like I'm in the kitchen with my dad and grandma. At a nice restaurant, it's fun to ask them to wrap up the bones and when they ask if you have a dog, look them dead in the eyes and say "No."”

“Homemade stock tastes better. It has more collagen, which means more body. It’s also a pain in the a$$ to devote an entire day to. I used to make and freeze a HUGE pot once every few months. This took a lot of time and freezer space. Now, I make smaller batches in my electric pressure cooker but do it more often. It’s my favorite use for the dang appliance. here’s how: •devote a freezer bag to stock parts: onion ends, parsley stems, that last rib of celery, and bones from raw or roasted chicken. •when you have at least 3# of bones saved (or just buy some), put them in the pressure cooker with your aromatics and add 1 quart of water per pound of bones. •for 3 pounds of bones, use about 1 onion, 1 large carrot, 1 large celery stalk, some parsley stems, a few peppercorns, a few garlic cloves, a pinch of salt, and a teaspoon of cider vinegar. •cook at high pressure for 90 minutes, then let steam release naturally •strain, skim, and cool stock, then freeze in pint or quart containers and use as needed.”