By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 4, 2026
Serves 2
3419 cal · 260 min
Rich Beef Stock
Recipe GLPRb998a345a16c1e
A deeply flavorful beef stock made by slowly simmering beef chuck, marrow bones, and ham hock with aromatic vegetables and herbs. This homemade stock is ideal for soups, gravies, and sauces, delivering rich, savory depth from hours of gentle extraction.
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Ingredients
2 lb beef chuck
1 lb beef marrow bones
1 smoked ham hock
2 medium parsnips, peeled
2 medium carrots, peeled
2 stalks celery
1 yellow onion
3 sprigs fresh dill
3 sprigs fresh parsley
4 bay leaves
10 black peppercorns
2 large pinches salt
Directions
Place the beef chuck, marrow bones, and ham hock in a large pot. Cover with cold water (about 3 to 4 quarts) and bring to a boil over high heat. As the liquid reaches a boil, skim off and discard any gray or brown foam that rises to the surface for the first 5 to 10 minutes. This foam is impurities and proteins that will make the stock cloudy if left in.
Reduce the heat to low and maintain a gentle simmer—the surface should barely bubble, not boil vigorously. Simmer uncovered for at least 3 to 4 hours, or until the beef is completely tender and the liquid has reduced by about one-third and turned a rich, golden-brown color.
While the stock simmers, prepare the vegetables. Cut the peeled parsnips and carrots into large chunks (about 2 to 3 inches each). Chop the celery stalks into similar-sized pieces. Cut the onion in half (leave the skin on for color). Set all vegetables aside.
After the stock has simmered for 2 to 3 hours, add the parsnips, carrots, celery, and onion halves to the pot. Tuck in the dill sprigs, parsley sprigs, bay leaves, and black peppercorns among the vegetables and meat.
Continue simmering gently for another 1 to 1.5 hours, keeping the simmer very low. The stock should develop a rich color and concentrated beef flavor as the vegetables break down and infuse the liquid.
Season with salt to taste. Add the 2 large pinches of salt and stir well. Taste the stock and add more salt if needed, stirring gently.
Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth-lined colander into a clean pot or bowl, pressing gently on the solids to extract all flavorful liquid. Discard the solids (meat, bones, vegetables, and herbs).
Allow the strained stock to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The fat will solidify on top; you can remove it for a leaner stock, or leave it in for extra richness. The stock will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days, or freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
Comments
The ingredient list is entirely standard and available at any Charlotte supermarket—beef chuck and marrow bones at Kroger or Harris Teeter, ham hock at Food Lion, and aromatics everywhere. The stated 260 minutes (4 hours 20 minutes) is honest for a proper stock, though you will need to actively tend it for the first 15 minutes to skim and then let it simmer largely unattended. At roughly $3–4 per serving for quality bones and chuck, this is reasonable for a homemade stock, though it's a modest yield (two quarts from two servings means you're paying for the convenience of making it rather than buying broth. The real issue is reheating: stock freezes beautifully and keeps for months, making this a worthwhile weekend project, but it's not a weeknight supper and yields no leftovers in the traditional sense.
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