An experienced hostess, of course, knows the secrets of making a transparent, aromatic, tasty and rich meat broth. Its importance in cooking is difficult to overestimate: it is the basis of the first courses, complements sauces, improves the taste of second courses and side dishes.
The broth is able to restore strength after exhausting high temperatures, helps in healing from ailments and ailments. Being a light dish, it is often recommended by nutritionists in the diet of people suffering from overweight. It is with the broth that it is useful to start a meal to start the production of gastric juice and the good functioning of the digestive system. Recommended for use for people of all ages - from the smallest to the elderly.
What to cook broth from
1) Pure spring water or bottled drinking water, but not from the tap. As the tap liquid contains too many impurities (chlorine, iron), which negatively affect the taste and aroma of the dish.
2) For cooking, you should choose the meat of young animals and always on the bone: calves, piglets, lambs. The main requirement for it is freshness.
3) Spices and vegetables form the aroma, color, taste and consistency of the finished broth. Each housewife has her own favorite and proven set of ingredients. Most often these are: onions, carrots, allspice peas, bay leaves, parsley and dill. If dried greens are used, then it needs to be added three times less than fresh.
Stages of cooking broth
First you need to rinse the meat on the bone well, divide it into portions. Place in an enamel pan at an approximate rate of 1 kg of meat product per 3 liters of liquid. Fill with cold clean drinking water. The secret is that when boiling water is added to the meat, the protein on its surface curls up, sealing the fibers and preventing the meat juices from enriching the broth. On the contrary, when heated slowly, water gradually penetrates into the deep layers of the meat, which gives the dish a bright and rich taste.
Cover the pot with a lid and put on medium heat. Closely monitor the formation of foam and regularly remove it before it boils. It is worth skipping this moment, as you can forget about the transparency of the broth.
After boiling, the heating temperature should be slightly reduced and the broth should be allowed to boil for another 40 minutes. After this time, you need to add a whole onion, a whole peeled carrot, you can celery root and, covering with a lid, cook for another half hour. Then add salt, add peppercorns, bay leaves and herbs. Cook for about 30 minutes. The finished broth must be filtered through a cheesecloth folded in several layers.
Helpful hints:
- If the broth is salted, you can save it by dipping a spoon with a piece of refined sugar into a saucepan for a few seconds, without letting it melt.
- You can store broth poured into jars in the refrigerator for a week, frozen - up to six months.
