Hello everybody. This is my first post on the SC forum. I'm a pretty busy home cook and wanted to share something I discovered.
I just had an epiphany this morning while making beef stock. Using the gravy separator as the discard container while skimming fat.
While cooking, maximum yield is always on my mind. Quality ingredients these days are expensive. I'm a home cook so this may not apply to high volume kitchens, but I've got to believe there is still some application there. My stock pot is 12 Quart.
Anyway, I bought some quality beef bones yesterday $4.99 a pound-ridiculous I know. Mom would jump off the roof if she found out.
So I roasted everything (bones/Mirx) yesterday, then let it all cool before refrigerating. This way I had dead cold roasted bones/veg./pot, giving me a whole day to cook it.
In trying to keep the stock as clear as possible, I skim about every ten minutes or so. For me, beef stock is harder to make than chix as its harder to discern the fat from the stock.
So I though, hum, how can I get back that discarded stock? DING, a gravy separator came to mind, mine is 4 cups. That way you can skim at will, technique is less important and can maximize yield. Smart right?
The benefits of using a gravy separator as a discard container while making stock are:
1. Maximum yield
2. Faster skimming, technique is less important
3. The separator also catches the large particles/veg/herbs, so you can add them back to the pot
4. The fallow will have much less water in it, can be used for other purposes.
5. The separator acts as a spoon rest for a cleaner station
Now if your making stock in a 100 quart pot this technique might not be feasible, but I've got to believe that even volume kitchens make stock in smaller qualities. Thats all I wanted to share.
Rocking it right now.
Happy cooking.
MB