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Stocks and Soups

A hearty stock made from beef shin, veal knuckle, bones, bacon rind, vegetables, herbs, and seasoning, simmered for hours.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 8 ingredients
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Why it works: Beef and veal are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,784 recipes. Both carry 2,6-nonadienal, which smells cucumber, green. The science ↓

Stocks and Soups

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Cut the meat into small pieces, discarding any fat.

  2. Place the meat in a large stewpan and cover with cold water.

  3. Let the mixture stand for 30 minutes if possible.

Simmer

  1. Add the bones, bacon rind, vegetables, herbs, and seasoning.

  2. Bring the stewpan to a boil over medium heat.

  3. Once boiling, add ½ cup of cold water to help the scum rise.

  4. Skim the scum off the surface.

  5. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 5 to 6 hours.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Beef + vealtop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,784 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, green).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Shin of beef
Provides rich flavour and gelatine from connective tissue as it simmers slowly.
Knuckle of veal
Adds body and gelatine, giving the stock a fuller mouthfeel.
Bones
Release collagen and minerals during long simmering, thickening the stock and deepening its flavour.
Bacon rind
Contributes salty, smoky fat that adds savoury depth to the stock.

The step that matters

Skimming the scum. Scum is coagulated protein and impurities that rise as the liquid heats. Removing it keeps the stock clear and clean-tasting; the added cold water helps it rise to the surface.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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