Broth, Stock and Soup

We had our first cool weekend in NYC this weekend, and when that happens I get cravings for turkey, soups and stews.

Sunday I smoked a turkey. Came out pretty good. Everyone ate their fill and more.

Sunday night, I cleaned the carcass and made broth/stock. (Cover the bones in water, add celery, onion, a bay leaf, carrot and a little garlic. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, and simmer till it's reduced by about 1/3. Strain it when it's done and you have a great broth/stock. Keep the seasonings minimal because you don't want this to overpower whatever recipe you use it in.) I do this all the time with chickens and beef marrow bones. My mother did it with pork bones as well. I like having home made broth on hand in the winter.

The broth/stock came out ok, but the smoke taste was a little more intense than I wanted. I cut it with some "regular" chicken broth/stock and it was much better.

So the question is. Does anyone else out there make their own broths/stocks from smoked meat bones? Anybody ever try it with rib bones? Any recipes, hints etc?

Hell yeah. Sometimes I make the ham just to get the bone for Split Pea Soup. Ham and pork bones are also GREAT in spaghetti sauce.

Havent used smoked bones yet but, I brown beef bones in the oven for beef stock always. Baking the bones until browned adds color and flavor to the stock.

I also like to reduce stocks to near syrup concentrations and pour into ice cube trays, then pop into ziplocks. If you cooking something that needs a bit of a flavor boost, pop in a cube, add beef to green beans or chili, or a chicken cube to rice to flavor it up a bit and I always add a chicken cube to cream gravy served with fried chicken. They work like bouillon cubes except the flavor is much better and not loaded with salt.

when she was making pork brazool (sp?) she'd use the ham bone in the sauce. gave it a deeper flavor. She prefered a fresh ham bone, but would use smoked cured ham bones when she didn't have a choice.

Your bullion ice cubes - are exactly why i make my own. Better flavor, more control of salt etc.

Your bullion ice cubes - are exactly why i make my own. Better flavor, more control of salt etc.

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Bouillon cubes and canned stock can't even hold a candle to a good home made stock. The kind that goes gelatinous when chilled.
Make chicken stock in the Crock-pot all the time. Makes great rice soup or broth for homemade noodles or chicken and dumplings. Nothing better on a cool evening than a hot bowl of chicken and dumplings or chicken and noodles, fat home made noodles with real texture.