Stock is a flavor-enriched liquid used as a base or foundation for soups and sauces. Stocks are also commonly used as a cooking medium in braised, poached and simmered dishes. Stocks principally rely on bones and/or less-expensive cuts of meat, poultry, seafood, and their trimmings. Vegetables and aromatics may also be used. The key to a flavorful stock is the proper extraction of flavor from these ingredients.
The making of stocks is losing importance in modern kitchens. Historically, stocks were made to fully utilize bones and trimmings left over from fabricating meat, poultry and seafood. Today, more kitchens opt for retail cuts of meat or sub-primals requiring less fabrication and less trimming. Also, there are many acceptable commercially-available bases or concentrated stocks. If a kitchen chooses to make stock, it is likely a decision based upon the desire for greater control over quality than one based upon economy.
The terms stock, bouillon, and broth are commonly used interchangeably…and incorrectly. A broth, bouillon (or brodo) is a flavorful stock made principally of meat, poultry, or seafood and seasoned. They are often served as is. A stock is made principally of bones and is typically un-seasoned. Stocks serve as a base for other preparations. Vegetable “stock” is really a broth, as it is made without bones and is typically seasoned.
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