Beef Glace de Viande (often incorrectly called demiglace)

Toby Jermain's Note:

Demiglace is actually any rich stock or broth that is reduced by half or three-quarters to enrich it; it is normally still a relatively thin liquid. Glace de viande is made the same way, but it is normally reduced by a factor of 8-10, has a thick syrupy or paste-like consistency, and is much richer. Glace de viande can sometimes be purchased, but is expensive, $30-40 per pint, and if you look at the list of ingredients, often has additives and other adulterants, which make it easier to make. This recipe is "the real thing", is easy to make, though time consuming, and much cheaper than the imitations you can buy. A little goes a long, long way, and it stores indefinitely in the freezer. Just knock off a couple tablespoonfuls, and add to any sauce to flavor it.

• Total Time: 29 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 28 hrs

Ingredients:

Yield: 2 cups

• 5 -6 lbs beef bones , leg bones,cut in 2 to 3 inch lengths (have the butcher saw them up)
• extra virgin olive oil , as needed
• 3 -4 lbs chuck roast , cut in large chunks (or other well flavored cut of beef)
• 2 -3 large onions , unpeeled,quartered
• 5 -6 cloves garlic , unpeeled,lightly crushed
• 3 -4 stalks celery , with leaves if possible,cut in 2 inch pieces
• 3 -4 large carrots , scrubbed and cut in 2 inch pieces
• 2 plum tomatoes , quartered
• 2 cups dry white wine or 2 cups water
• 1 bunch parsley stems (or 1 bunch parsley if desired)
• 4 -6 large bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorn

Directions:

1. You may have to ask the butcher to order these for you if he doesn't stock them.
2. At the very least, he will probably have them in back, and you will have to ask for them; they won’t be in the display case.
3. Place rack in middle of oven, and preheat broiler on high or preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
4. Lightly rub the marrow bones with olive oil, and place in a roasting pan.
5. Place in oven, and broil or roast until nicely browned on all sides, turning regularly, and watching closely so they do not burn.
6. Remove from oven, and pour any grease and olive oil from roasting pan into a large (at least 12 quart) stock pot, adding more olive oil as needed, and setting bones aside.
7. Heat pot over high heat, add all of the vegetables, except the tomatoes and parsley, and cook until surfaces are browned and charred in places.
8. Add tomatoes, and cook a couple minutes longer.
9. Transfer veggies to pan with bones.
10. Add a little more olive oil to pot if necessary, and brown the pieces of roast on all sides.
11. Add the bones and veggies to the pot, and fill three-quarters full with cold water.
12. Heat the roasting pan on the stovetop, and add a couple cups of white wine or water to deglaze, scraping up all browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and add this to the stock pot.
13. Add the parsley, bay leaves, and peppercorns to the pot, and bring to a slow boil, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface.
14. Add more water to bring level to 1" from top of pot, and return to a boil.
15. Partially cover, if desired, and adjust heat so stock stays at an active simmer or very slow boil (should be bubbling lightly).
16. Simmer for at least 24 hours, adding more water every couple of hours as needed.
17. While sleeping, just reduce the heat slightly, cover completely, and go to bed; top up with water, increase heat, and return to a boil in the morning.
18. When done cooking, skim as much grease as possible from surface, and strain the broth into another container, pressing gently on the solids to extract as much stock as possible.
19. Discard solids.
20. Scrub pot well, and return to stovetop.
21. Degrease stock as completely as possible, and return to the pot.
22. You should have 4-5 quarts of stock at this point.
23. Bring to a full rolling boil, and reduce by about 90% (yes, until only 2-2½ cups of thick syrup or paste remains).
24. You only have to pay close attention to the reducing stock for about the last 15-20 minutes to ensure the pot doesn’t burn dry.
25. Allow to cool to room temperature, and transfer to a 1 quart Ziploc plastic bag.
26. Squeeze out all air, seal, and press to flatten.
27. Refrigerate until solidified, then freeze until needed.
28. To Use: Use in any recipe that calls for glace de viande or just a small amount of demiglace (which is probably calling for demiglace in error; they really mean glace de viande).
29. If the recipe calls for more than a couple tablespoons of demiglace, it probably really means demiglace.
30. Glace de viande can also be used to enrich any gravy or sauce, by just stirring in 1-2 Tbsp.
31. Just cut or break off a small chunk of the frozen glace de viande, and stir it into the sauce.
32. Just remember, this stuff is potent, equivalent to 10 times the amount of rich stock as the amount of glace de viande being used (1 Tbsp glace de viande= about 5 fl oz stock).

Reviews

[javamutt]

not to nitpick but a demiglace is not what you said either. its 1/2 espangolo sacue (brown stock and brown roux) and 1/2 brown stock. reduced by over 50%

[843005]

Great stuff, but the nutrition information is COMPLETELY WRONG. Glace de viande has hardly any fat. The problem seems to be that the nutrition information assumes you eat all that goes in (most of it in fact gets thrown away). 1 cup of meat glaze weighs about 250 g (a tad more than water), NOT 1319 g. It certainly does not contain more than its own weight in protein and fat!

[Queen Dragon Mom]

Excellent recipe. I have made this for some time. Normally I use those awful "soup bones" we get when we slaughter a beef. Cutting off the meat and rendering it separately doesn't change the taste. I freeze the gelatin in ice cube trays for convenience. Love the stuff and use it a lot.