• Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°F, or 200°C fan-forced.
• Arrange the bones in a single layer across two baking trays. Roast for 1 hour, turning them halfway through at the 30-minute mark, until they are deeply browned.
• Pour off and discard any excess fat.
• Transfer the roasted bones to a large stock pot with at least 7 litres/7 quarts capacity.
• Deglaze the trays:
• Place one tray over medium heat on the stove. Add 3/4 cup water. Once the water begins to simmer, scrape the bottom of the tray to loosen the browned bits, also called fond. These drippings will dissolve into the liquid.
• When most of the browned bits have lifted from the tray, pour the liquid into the stock pot. Repeat with the second tray.

Simmer the stock:

• Add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Begin with 3 litres of water, then press the bones and vegetables down so everything sits snugly in the pot. Add more water as needed, just enough to cover the bones. The ingredients will settle as the stock cooks. The final water amount will vary depending on the size and shape of the bones and pot. In my pot, the water level reached about 5.75 litres/quarts.
• Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low so the liquid is barely simmering. You should only see a small bubble rise every now and then.
• Use a ladle to skim off any foam or scum that appears on the surface, then discard it.
• Simmer very gently for 8 hours, uncovered. By the end, the liquid should reduce to around 4 litres/quarts before straining. If it has not reduced enough, you can reduce it further after straining.

Alternative cooking methods:

• Stovetop, shorter method: Simmer for 3 hours over medium-low heat, keeping it very gentle, with the lid slightly cracked.
• Oven method: Cover with a lid and cook for 8 to 10 hours at 120°C/250°F, or 100°C fan-forced. The liquid will only reduce by about 500ml/0.5 qt, so strain the stock afterward and boil it rapidly until reduced to about 1.5 litres/1.5 quarts.
• Slow cooker method: Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. After straining, reduce the stock to about 1.5 litres/1.5 quarts.

Strain and finish:

• Remove most of the bones from the pot. Pour the stock, along with the vegetables, through a fine mesh colander or strainer set over a large pot or bowl. Let it sit for a few minutes so the liquid can fully drain through.
• Cool the stock to room temperature by placing the pot or bowl in a sink filled with cold water. Let it cool for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, replacing the water every 20 minutes or so as it warms up.
• Pour the stock into a measuring vessel to check the final volume. You should have approximately 1.3 to 1.7 litres/quarts. If you have much more than that, simmer it on the stove to reduce it further, otherwise the stock may taste too weak.
• Refrigerate the stock. Once the fat has hardened on the surface, carefully remove it with a large spoon and discard it. You should be left with around 1.25 to 1.5 litres/quarts.
• The beef stock is now ready to use. It is similar in strength to store-bought stock, so you can substitute it 1:1 in recipes that call for beef stock.
• Salt adjustment: Homemade stock is usually unsalted, while store-bought stock contains salt. To match the seasoning level of low-sodium store-bought beef stock, add 1/4 teaspoon salt for every 1 cup, or 250ml, of homemade beef stock.
• How to use: When cold, the stock will have a jelly-like texture. It will melt into liquid in about a minute on the stove over medium-high heat or in the microwave. You can also add it directly to dishes in its jellied form, though you may want to melt it first if you need to measure it accurately.

Recipe Notes:

Bones

Use meaty bones, since the meat is what gives the stock its flavour. If you use bones with little or no meat, the stock will taste quite bland.

If possible, include at least one marrow bone, which is a bone split open to expose the rich, fatty marrow inside. This adds valuable richness to the stock and should be included as part of the total 2.5 kg/5 lb of bones.

In Australia, grocery store packs labelled “Beef Soup Bones” work well because they usually contain a decent amount of meat. However, they are often more expensive than bones from a butcher. Avoid very fatty bones sold as “brisket bones,” as they tend to contain lots of fat and very little meat.

Coriander seeds and tomato

These ingredients are not always used in traditional stocks, but they are a great chef-style addition. Tomato adds a touch of sweetness and helps deepen the colour and flavour of the stock. Coriander seeds add extra savoury depth. If you do not have them, the stock will still work fine.

Cider vinegar

The vinegar helps draw nutrients out of the bones during the long simmering process.

Cold stock texture

The stock becomes jelly-like when chilled because of the gelatin extracted from the bones and connective tissue. This gelatin gives homemade stock a richness that liquid store-bought stock usually lacks.

Cooking methods and reducing the liquid

The bones must be fully covered with water so their flavour can infuse properly into the liquid. The exact amount of water needed will depend on the shape of the bones and the size of your pot.

After cooking, if the strained stock has not reduced to the target amount of 1.3 to 1.7 litres/quarts, boil it rapidly after straining until it reaches the correct volume.

• A very low stovetop simmer for 8 hours with the lid off should bring the liquid close to the target amount. You should have about 4 litres/4 quarts with the bones still in the pot, and around 1.3 to 1.7 litres/quarts after straining.
• A medium-low stovetop simmer for 3 hours with the lid slightly cracked should also reduce the stock to the target quantity.
• The oven method for 8 to 10 hours only reduces the liquid by around 500ml/0.5 qt, so the stock will need to be boiled down after straining.
• The slow cooker method barely reduces the liquid at all, so the strained stock will definitely need to be reduced afterward.

Do not rapidly boil the stock while the bones are still in the pot, as this can make the stock cloudy.

Leftover meat on the bones

The meat left on the bones will not have much flavour because most of it has gone into the stock. Still, it can feel wasteful to throw it away. You can pick it off and use it if you like.

If you plan to eat it, add flavour back in. Toss it with barbecue sauce or another sauce and use it like pulled beef. You can also pan-fry it with butter and garlic.

Storage

Store the stock in the fridge for up to 7 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. It is useful to portion it into practical amounts, such as 1 cup or 2 cups, then label and freeze in jars.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is calculated for the full batch of stock.