Beef Consommé
makes about 1 quart
Consommé is a classic french broth - it takes a while to make, but creates a wonderfully rich and clear liquid.
1 rib celery
1 carrot
1 onion, quartered
3 pounds beef bones
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 cup cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
water to cover
1/2 pound lean ground beef
3 egg whites
prep: 1 hour
total: 8 hours
baking sheet
large pot
sieve
1. Make the broth: preheat the oven to 400F. Roughly chop the celery, carrot and onion. Arrange on a baking sheet with the beef bones. Roast until they are browned, about 45 minutes.
2. Put the meat and vegetables in a large stock pot. Add the anise, cinnamon, cilantro and salt, and enough water to cover. Simmer for about 4 hours.
3. Using a sieve over a bowl, strain out the vegetables, bones and spices. Set the vegetables aside and discard the rest. Cover the broth in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to allow the fats to congeal. Once they've hardened, gently lift it off with a pair of tongs.
4. Chop the vegetables from the broth finely, and mix together the lean ground beef and egg whites in the large pot. Place the pot over low heat and pour in the broth. Whisk as the mixture barely simmers, to keep the meat from browning to the bottom. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. If your pot is significantly larger than the burner, shift it occasionally so that the bubbles move through the broth in different places.
5. A thick layer of foam will collect on the top of the pot as the broth clarifies underneath. When the consommé is done, tip the pot slightly to shift the foam to one side and ladle the consommé through a fine sieve into a bowl.
2. Put the meat and vegetables in a large stock pot. Add the anise, cinnamon, cilantro and salt, and enough water to cover. Simmer for about 4 hours.
3. Using a sieve over a bowl, strain out the vegetables, bones and spices. Set the vegetables aside and discard the rest. Cover the broth in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to allow the fats to congeal. Once they've hardened, gently lift it off with a pair of tongs.
4. Chop the vegetables from the broth finely, and mix together the lean ground beef and egg whites in the large pot. Place the pot over low heat and pour in the broth. Whisk as the mixture barely simmers, to keep the meat from browning to the bottom. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. If your pot is significantly larger than the burner, shift it occasionally so that the bubbles move through the broth in different places.
5. A thick layer of foam will collect on the top of the pot as the broth clarifies underneath. When the consommé is done, tip the pot slightly to shift the foam to one side and ladle the consommé through a fine sieve into a bowl.
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