So anyway, back to that turkey carcass…

As I’m sure you recall (not) I make it a point to stretch every dang dollar that I spend on organic meat because, uh, it costs a lot of dollars!

If you are not familiar with making a stock from the bones of an animal, you may think it rather primitive–which it may be.  But I assure you that making your own stock is not only a good use of your organically spent dollars, it is healthy and actually quite gourmet.  (and for my vegetarian friends–yes, you can make a soup stock from vegetables as well, but we are going with the turkey scene here.)

Bones.  When I cook meat I pretty much always chose cuts with bones.  Why?  Because there is soooooo much flavor in those little guys.  Even if I cut the meat away from the bones before serving, cooking them on the bone always yields a better flavor.  Plus, then I have something with which to make a stock so it’s a win-win!

To prepare a stock takes a bit of effort, but it’s way worth it.  First step is to remove all the meat you can from the bones.  Then I place what’s left of the carcass in a large pot with whatever I had used to season it (onion, garlic, citrus) as featured above.  Sometimes I add a little salt, maybe a slug of white wine… just depends.

Next add enough water to cover your goodies, place a lid on top, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a low boil for about 90 minutes or so.

The longer you cook the bones, the more flavor your broth will have, but there comes a point where you start saving on the organic meat dollars and then spend more on your gas or electric bill.  So I usually go about 90 minutes or so.  At this point, by the way, your kitchen is smelling so good you won’t believe it.

Now you’re going to strain the broth from the bones.  I like my metal strainer because the holes are tiny (no bones get through!) and then I can put it in the dishwasher to clean it.  It will be a bit greasy when done.

This time I had enough broth to fill one large glass bowl:

Plus another small one:

At this point, your carcass has done its duty.   It has nothing left to give and you may now dispose of it knowing that you have taken advantage of every cent that went into it.  Congratulations.

Final step: I chill the broth so the fat will rise to the top.  Even though I don’t cook the skins, there is still some fat in the broth.  This is the kind of gross part but there you go.  I take a spoon and just skim it off the top:

Just collect this gross stuff and toss in the trash.  I don’t recommend putting it in your sink unless you’ve already called the plumber.

And there you go.  What does one do with a soup stock/broth like this?  Don’t get me started.  Just like you use store bought chicken broth to use for cooking, this stock can be used to cook rice, make soups, sauces, couscous, whatever.  It can be frozen in ice cube trays if you like to use little bits at a time, or in freezer bags or larger containers for later stock-using days.  Or you can just take what you’ve got and make some soup right now!

Absurd side note: my mother and I have been known to fight over a carcass like a pair of jackals if we’re at the same gathering.  “What a delicious meal!  Thanks so much for inviting us–and if you don’t mind me asking… what are you going to do with that carcass!?”

Don’t I hate it when the host notifies me: “Sorry, your mother asked first!” 🙂