Well Fed Network

Posted by Jaden Hair on Cook Smarter.

While I’m on the subject of broths and stock, let’s talk about making the homemade version faster. First off, I’m often asked, “What is the difference between stock and broth?” Well, most people use those two terms interchangeably (including myself), but technically, stock is made from simmering bones and broth is made from simmering meat. An interesting read regarding the differences can be found on Global Gourmet website.

When I purchase chicken, I almost always buy the whole bird, cut up the good parts for my dish and reserve the rest of the body for stock. If I roasted a whole chicken (or even buy rotisserie chicken from the market) - after carving, I also use the rest of the body for stock.  The flavor of roasted chicken stock is a nice & rich, so don’t expect a clean, clear stock.

Because not everyone has 2 hours to babysit a simmering pot, a great way to make homemade stock in less than half the time is to invest in a pressure cooker. I know you’ve seen the infomercials and you or your mom might have owned one a while ago, but I promise you that you’ll save time and money (from buying canned broth) from this appliance. In as little as 45 minutes, you will be rewarded with rich, flavorful, steaming hot broth. Add pasta, remove as much meat as you can from the bones, and you have a nice meal. To make it, you can use any combination of bones, meat, vegetables, herbs and spices. Two of my recipes are below.

You want to purchase a pressure cooker with at least 6 quart capacity. I prefer Stainless Steel.

Target: Manttra 8Qt Stainless Steel $59.99

Amazon: Presto 6Qt Stainless Steel $39.99

My Standard Stock
2-4 lbs of Chicken/Pork bones, meat (depends on size of your pressure cooker)
3 Carrots, cut into 1″ chunks
3 stalks Celery, cut into 1″ chunks
2 Bay Leaves
2 Garlic cloves
1/2 onion (take a whole onion, cut in half and just use 1 half of it without chopping)

Follow manufacturer’s instructions on how to use the Pressure Cooker. Place all ingredients in pressure cooker. Add water to fill 3/4 of pot. Cover and turn heat to high until you hear the “hissing” sound. Immediately turn heat to medium low and simmer for 35-45 minutes. Cool to release pressure. Season with salt, 1 tsp at a time, to taste. Tear chicken meat into bite-sized pieces, return to pot and serve.

Chinese Stock
2-4lbs of Chicken/Pork bones, meat (depends on size of your pressure cooker)
4 Garlic cloves, smashed with side of knife
4 slices of Ginger (cut like 1/4″ thick coins), smashed with side of knife
10 sprigs of cilantro, tied together at stem with twine
5 stalks green onion, cut into 3″ lengths

Place all ingredients in pressure cooker. Add water to fill 3/4 of pot. Cover and turn heat to high until you hear the “hissing” sound. Immediately turn heat to medium low and simmer for 45 minutes. Cool to release pressure. Season with salt, 1 tsp at a time, to taste.