The stock of meat in the freezer will have to be replenished over the weekend. There were some small packages remaining. The contents of each package were too little to make a complete dish though. The back of a chicken, parts of the pork spare ribs that weren’t meaty enough to go into the stir fry that I made last week… I was comtemplating on what to do with them when I remembered a discussion thread in the discussion forum about homemade broth. Perfect timing too. I have lots of veggies and I can make a great vegetable soup tonight. So, this is how I make my broth.
First, you need parts of chicken, pork, duck, turkey or beef with lots of bones in them. The flavor is in the bones. So… For my broth, I used a whole back of a chicken, with the neck, and two big portions of pork ribs.
Place your chicken, pork, beef, duck, turkey or whatever in a casserole. Cover with water. Add a whole garlic, a whole onion, a whole carrot and several stalks of leeks. If leeks are unavailable, use onion or garlic leaves. Season with salt then add some peppercorns. You may also add a bay leaf but note that bay leaves have a strong flavor and odor and if you intend to use your broth for a clear soup dish, it might not be a good idea.
Place the casserole on the stove and set the heat to high. When the water starts to boil, scum will form on the surface. Use a large spoon to remove the scum. Do it before the water boils rapidly. When the water reaches its boiling point, removing the scum will be difficult and it will boil into the broth.
Why remove the scum? Well, it isn’t edible. It’s like the exhaust emitted by the meat. Plus, the scum will detract from the flavor of the broth. Worse, it will make your broth cloudy. Patience is needed to remove the scum completely but, believe me, it’s worth the effort.
Scum removed, let the water boil then lower the heat. Cover and simmer for several hours. The longer you reduce the liquid, the stronger the flavors will be.
To store, strain the broth through a double layer of cheesecloth (katsa). Cool and store in freezer containers.
connie,
this may sound stupid, what what is leek in tagalog? and when you say shallots, is it like dahon ng sibuyas?
i wanted to start cooking but sometimes am not familiar with the ingredients. do you have a glossary or something where I could lookup some of the cooking terms?
thanks a lot.
don’t know the tagalog term for leeks, brenda, sorry.
shallots are “sibuyas na mura” or “sibuyas tagalog”. they are small res onions.
re the glossary. i have a few (link). i should add more to them, really.
connie,
how long will the chicken broth last?will i put broth in the freezer?a million thanks!more power!
hi, just dropping by.. hehe
re: tagalog term for leeks -or other asian ingredients you might want to check this link:
http://asiarecipe.com/phiingred.html
more power to your site!
raquel, sorry, late reply. frozen, the broth can last for a couple of weeks.
thanks, mai.
Hi Ms. Connie, good evening!
I am very happy to see when I checked out your website tonight that I have received a reply from you…really! thank you so much! I’ve already checked the link for the homemade broth.
Right now at this very moment, I have tried your baked macaroni..its amazing! its my first time to use a tomato paste. And I am very happy and contented with the results. It really tastes good! Definitely, I’ll be using your “homemade broth” recipe to the other pasta and soup I’ll be doing. The broth I used for this bake mac, was the broth from fresh beef cubes alone, but it tastes good too!
Once again, thank you so much, Ms. Connie and rest assure that I will always check your website to try more of your recipes.
More power to you and to your family! Ü
Somehow when I make the broth with “tanglad” lemon grass, it give a distinct flavor for all the soup that I make, either chicken, beef, or turkey. That’s why I try to always have it in hand. Nagtanim pa nga ako nun para lagi akong meron. hahaha, ang hirap lang i-trim in the yard, sabi ng husband ko, parang hindi mo mapapatay itong tanim na ito.Parang cogon grass eh. Bumili na lang daw ako ng paisa-isa sa market.
Even when I make other dishes, basta it calls for something with sabaw, I add lemon grass, I just have to remember to take it out before serving or else…
Hi Connie! Ganito na din ako gumawa ng broth….he!he!he! I always plan to stock sa freezer ko kaso lagi na lang nauubos eh….Mahilig kasi sa sauce, soup ang family ko….Eversince I’ve discovered your website, I’m addicted na to it and feeling ko mommy kita na I should follow,,,,,,,,, he!he!he! Good for me and my family….Healthy eating habits…..He!he!he!
Hi Connie,
Just wanted to know why the ingredients were not cut or chopped first. The onion in the picture still has the dry brown skin. Any reason for this? I’d appreciate it.
Lolay, because you’re going to remove them after simmering. Onion skin adds color to the broth.
leeks is kutsay
kutsay is chinese leeks, which is different from leeks
kutsay looks thinner than spring onion leaves, while leeks are bigger.
All chefs in our city broil (beef) meat bones first before boiling — this deepens the flavor (and color) of the stock.
For a close substitute (or for when you just don’t have homemade stock on hand), chefs swear by this product and I do, too:
Better Than Bouillon by Superior Touch
http://www.superiortouch.com/btb.htm
I’ve used it a lot and it’s actually as close as using the homemade version. I’m sure it’s available in the metro-Manila area. Even my mom who makes everything from scratch, has been known to use this product in cases of “emergency” — you know, when she’s out of stock
I’ve used it on many dishes like adding 1/2 teaspoon to the rice cooker prior to cooking rice (makes great flavored rice), or using it for steaming veggies, and even for scrambled eggs!
Roasting the beef prior to boiling is a Western thing. In traditional Southeast Asian cooking, it’s rarely done. Probably has to do with the oven not being indigenous to the region.
where can i buy the katsa used for cooking? is it any different from the katsa sold in the market along with the other fabrics?
thanks.
Katsa comes in different thicknesses and textures. Some kitchen shops actually sell them under the label “cheesecloth.” If you buy in the market, choose one with medium thickness.
Hi Ms. Connie
you’re so good in cooking. especially making homemade stuffs. i really admire you for it.
before i entered culinary school i never had an idea on how to make buoillon or stock. and sobrang wow po talaga na yours is almost the same to a real buoillon except you didn’t use sachet d’epice. and its so galing.
Actually, all the herbs and spices in sachet d?epice are there. Except for thyme, which I associate more with sauces than with broth.
how long does the broth keep in the freezer? thanks.
Weeks and weeks…
What about the fat which floats to the surface of the soup after cooking the bones? Do you also use that?
How much fat are you going to get if you’re boiling bones?
I used beef bones, the part where there is litid. A layer of fat was on the top of the broth when I let the soup stand in the ref.
If you didn’t trim the fat, you can scrape it off once chilled. But honestly, unless you get too much fat, why bother? A little fat adds so much flavor to the broth.
Thanks. I will keep a little fat for flavor.
Hi ms. Connie, can i use biyas ng baboy in making this broth? Wala pa kame left over bones, can i add chicken neck with its fat included?
also, ask ko na rin my kind of stupid question, ano po yung lasa nya pag cooked na? Thanks
You can use any bones. Chicken necks are good. Taste? You’ll have to make the broth to know.
I love fried rice and I believe a good fried rice has some good meat stock in it. I want to make my own homemade broth so I could cook good fried rice, too. Thanks for sharing how you make homemade broth!
P.S. I love your blog because I learn a lot from it. As in, more than what I need to know.