Beef, Chicken & Duck Stock

BY: Ivan

PUBLISHED: Jun 24, 2025

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Recipe · Video

The Best Stock Comes From Bones and Time

Beef stock, duck stock, chicken stock – this recipe walks you through how I make all three from scratch. Whether you call it stock or broth, homemade is in a completely different category than anything you can buy in a box or a cube. The depth of flavor, the nutritional value, the richness; it is not just better, it is something else entirely. And once you taste it, you will not want to go back. This is the kind of recipe that quietly becomes part of how you cook, something that brings flavor to every dish that follows.

Why Homemade Stock Is Worth It

There are a lot of reasons to make your own stock at home. The most obvious one is taste. Store-bought stock can be thin, salty, or overly seasoned in a way that competes with the rest of the food. Homemade stock is subtle but deep. It supports a dish without overwhelming it. When you make it yourself, you get layers of flavor that come from time and care, not additives.

There is also nutrition. Real stock, especially when made with feet or joints, is full of gelatin and collagen. These are natural compounds that support your skin, hair, joints, and digestion. You also get trace minerals from the bones, vitamins from the vegetables, and healthy fats that help you absorb everything else. A cup of warm homemade broth is the kind of comfort food that also quietly does your body good.

And then there is flexibility. I always make a large batch and freeze it in portions. It keeps for months and gives me a base for soups, sauces, risottos, braises, and grains. It is the kind of quiet work that pays off long after the pot has cooled. You put something away in the freezer and then weeks later, it comes back to lift an ordinary dish into something special.

Making the Most of a Whole Bird

One of the questions I often get is where to find bones or carcasses. The simplest answer is to start with a whole chicken or duck. It is easy to break it down at home. You can use the breasts and thighs for other meals and save the rest. The carcass, the back, the neck, and any little scraps, those are used for the stock. This way, nothing goes to waste. You get meat for the week and the foundation for your next pot of broth all from one purchase.

It is not difficult to learn how to do this, and once you do, you will wonder why you ever paid for pre-cut pieces. You save money, you use the whole animal, and you start to see ingredients as part of a whole. In the video linked below, I show exactly how I break down a chicken and a duck. You can follow along and learn at your own pace.

What You Will Need

You do need a large stock pot. Not a saucepan or a soup pot, but something really big; the kind that can hold a full carcass, several liters of water, and a pile of vegetables. I recommend investing in something like this one. A good pot will last for years and open up all sorts of possibilities in your kitchen, from stocks and soups to tomato sauce, fruit preserves, or slow-cooked stews.

The exact measurements in stock making are not critical. You do not need to weigh every bone or slice each carrot perfectly. I include approximations in the recipe, but what matters most is the balance – enough bones to give it body, enough vegetables to round it out, and enough water to cover everything generously. It is more about attention than precision.

I like making a big batch at once (or, like here, all three different stocks). You need big pots for this.

The Role of Time and Simmering

Stock is not fast food. It needs time. I let mine simmer gently overnight. This low, slow cooking is what pulls everything out of the bones and vegetables. The collagen dissolves,

the flavors meld, and the liquid becomes something rich and golden. You do not want a rolling boil. You want tiny bubbles, a quiet movement on the surface. That is how you know it is working.

Once it is done, I strain it and let it cool in the fridge. When cold, a layer of fat will rise to the top and harden. You can scoop this off and save it for cooking. Underneath, you will often find a stock that has turned gelatinous, almost like jelly. This is a good sign. That means it is full of natural collagen and has the kind of body that gives sauces shine and soups weight.

Feet Make It Better

I always try to include feet when I make stock: chicken feet, pig’s feet, or cow’s foot depending on the type of stock. They are full of connective tissue and collagen, which dissolve into the liquid as it simmers. This is what gives the stock that rich, silky texture once cooled. It also makes it more nutritious. In traditional cooking, these parts were never thrown away. They were prized for the nourishment they could offer. Once you get used to cooking with them, they will become something you seek out.

When done, just portion it up and freeze. The stock is now ready to be used whenever you need it.

Why I Do Not Add Salt

One thing I never do is salt the stock. It might seem strange, but there is a good reason. Stock is an ingredient, not a finished dish. If you season it now, it might end up too salty once you reduce it in a sauce or soup. By keeping it unsalted, you leave room to adjust the final dish to taste. It is a small choice that gives you much more control when you cook later.

A Quiet Practice With Big Rewards

Making stock is the kind of cooking I love: slow, quiet, and full of intention. It asks very little of you, just time and patience. And what you get in return is something that quietly transforms your kitchen. You get a freezer full of comfort and flavor, a sense of using every part of what you buy, and a rhythm that connects one meal to the next.

If you are new to stock making, I hope this post encourages you to give it a try. It is not complicated. It is not expensive. It is just one of those slow, steady kitchen practices that makes everything else better. The recipe is below when you are ready. And once you make your first batch, you will see. There is no going back.