Making beef stock and wondering...

[havsulen]

I am making beef stock with the recipe in Nourishing Traditions for the first time, and I have a few questions.

- is thyme just for flavour? I can not get hold of fresh thyme. Is dried ok? Then how much would be ok? And can I just leave it in or should it be strained out?

- Is is ok with black pepper corns instead of green, do you think?

- When it says "meaty ribs" - what does that mean? Ribs with quite big chunks of meat still on them? Mostly meat or mostly ribs?

Oh, how I wish I could go through all these recipies together with someone experienced the first time. I dream of a grand mother in a swinging chair in the kitchen, knitting away while I ask and learn...

Thanks so much for being grandmother substitutes!

[FairyRae]

I'm sure you could use any of the subs you mentioned. I've made beef stock w/ just bones, nothing else, and just flavored it later by making it into soup, etc. You'll still get all the good benefits of the broth, all those extras just add (yummy) flavor. I'd think of the recipe as loose guidelines, and throw in anything *I* liked to add flavor.

Have fun experimenting w/ this!! HTH!

[BettinaAuSucre]

i usually use parsley in my stocks and use any kind of beef bones, not just meaty ones. i use steak bones, and ribs. can be ones left over from a meal, dont HAVE to have a tons of meat on them... the most important part of using bones is for the marrow and cartilage. flavors so well.

but your subs sounds fine. though i have never heard of using green peppercorns in stock.

[havsulen]

Thanks for your replies! My hesitation to experiment comes from me being so new with all this, I have not yet learned which parts are for flavour and can safely be added/amended, and which parts are vital to the health benefits of the products.

For example, we add parsley to add important vitamins/minerals, don't we? But thyme is just for the flavour? I feel that I need to learn more so that I will not make mistakes with these prescious ingredients. (I am using moose bones- which we only get once a year, in autumn)

Anyway, thanks! The stock is simmering now, and I am looking forward to turning it into a vegetable soup tomorrow!

[Llyra]

Yeah. I think that it'll all come out just fine with any of the variations you're mentioning. A stock recipe is a template-- you can add stuff, and take stuff away, experiment and see what works. Be careful if you're subbing dried herbs for fresh that you reduce the quantity-- you'll want to use less of the dried than you would with fresh, or you'll get a stronger flavor.