Fondo Bruno

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large roasting pan
• •Heavy 8-quart stockpot
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Cheesecloth
• •Ladle for skimming

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the bones

   Heat the oven to 425°F. Spread the bones and beef pieces in a single layer in a large roasting pan. They should not touch or overlap. Roast for 45 minutes, turning once halfway through, until deeply browned on all sides. The color you achieve here determines the color and depth of your fondo. Pale bones make pale, weak stock. You want mahogany.

   Ask your butcher to saw the bones into 3-inch pieces. Exposed marrow releases gelatin and flavor more readily than whole bones.
2. 2

   Roast the vegetables

   Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pan with the bones. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes more, until the vegetables are browned and slightly charred at the edges. The onion skin adds color and depth. Do not discard it.

3. 3

   Add the tomato paste

   Push the bones and vegetables aside and spread the tomato paste in the cleared space on the pan floor. Roast for 5 minutes more. The paste should darken and caramelize but not burn. Burnt tomato paste is bitter and cannot be rescued.

4. 4

   Deglaze the pan

   Remove the pan from the oven and place it over two burners on medium heat. Pour the wine into the pan. It will sizzle violently. Use a wooden spoon to scrape every browned bit from the bottom. This fond, these concentrated meat drippings, contains more flavor than anything else in the pan. Leave nothing behind.

   The French call this deglazing. The Italians simply call it common sense. What you scrape from that pan is pure extracted flavor.
5. 5

   Transfer and simmer

   Transfer everything from the roasting pan to a large stockpot. Add the parsley stems, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Cover with the cold water. The water must be cold. Hot water seals the proteins and prevents proper extraction. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat. This takes 30 minutes or more. Do not rush it.

6. 6

   Skim continuously

   As the liquid heats, gray foam will rise to the surface. Skim it away with a ladle or large spoon. Continue skimming every 15 minutes for the first hour. This foam is impurities and coagulated proteins. Left in, it clouds your fondo and makes it taste muddy. Reduce heat to the lowest setting once simmering begins.

   The surface should barely tremble. A rolling boil creates cloudy, greasy stock. Patience here separates the competent cook from the careless one.
7. 7

   Simmer for hours

   Maintain the gentlest possible simmer for 3 hours. Never cover the pot. Never stir. Never let it boil. Add hot water if the level drops below the bones. The liquid should reduce by roughly one third. The color should deepen to rich amber brown.

8. 8

   Strain carefully

   Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl. Ladle the stock through the strainer, leaving the sediment at the bottom of the pot undisturbed. Do not press on the solids. Pressing releases fat and cloudiness. Let gravity do its work.

9. 9

   Defat and reduce

   Let the strained stock cool to room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered until completely cold. The fat will solidify on top in a pale layer. Lift it off in pieces and discard. Return the defatted stock to a clean pot. Simmer gently until reduced to about 2 cups. It should coat a spoon and taste intensely of meat. Season with salt only now, at the end.

Chef Tips

• •Veal bones produce superior body due to their higher collagen content. Beef bones provide deeper flavor. The ideal fondo uses both in equal measure.
• •A properly made fondo sets to jelly when cold. This gelatin is what gives body to sauces. If your cold stock remains liquid, you used too much water or not enough bones.
• •Never salt the stock until the final reduction. Salt concentrates as liquid evaporates. What tastes properly seasoned at three quarts becomes inedibly salty at two cups.
• •The parsley stems contain more flavor than the leaves and do not turn your stock green. Save the leaves for something else.

Advance Preparation

• •Fondo bruno keeps refrigerated for five days. Check daily and discard if it develops off odors.
• •The stock freezes beautifully for six months. Reduce it further before freezing to save space, then dilute when using.
• •Freeze in ice cube trays for small portions. Two cubes will enrich a pan sauce. Four will form the base of a risotto.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)