Velvety Homemade Beef Stock

1. Heat Oil and Sear Vegetables

Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat until it’s just smoking. Add the trimmed and quartered mushrooms and the chopped onion to the pot. Cook them together, stirring often, for about 8 to 12 minutes until the onions are browned and a layer of fond forms on the bottom of the pot.

2. Cook Ground Beef

Stir in the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon as you cook it. Continue cooking until the beef is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

3. Add Tomato Paste

Add the tomato paste and cook it for about 30 seconds until it becomes fragrant.

4. Deglaze with Wine

Pour in the dry red wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot as the wine reduces. Let the wine cook down until it’s nearly evaporated, about 1 to 2 minutes.

5. Add Water and Vegetables

Add the water, chopped carrot, chopped celery rib, soy sauce, salt, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring everything to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to let it simmer gently for about 1.5 hours.

6. Strain and Remove Fat

Once your stock has simmered, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer into another pot or large bowl. Let the stock settle for a few minutes, then use a wide shallow spoon or a fat separator to remove the fat that rises to the top.