I use a recipe from the Iowa State Fair's Blue Ribbon Cookbook: Ingredients: 2Lb Boneless Beef Chuck, cut into 1" cubes. 1 medium (About 1.5 Lbs) Beef soup bone. In Iowa, these are from the leg shank. 1 Carrot, pared & quartered 1 Celery Stalk with green leaves attached cut in half or thirds depending on the size. 1 Medium onion Quartered 1 Bay Leaf 1 Teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper About 8 cups water 2 Cups home made beef stock or 14.5oz store bought beef stock. 12 ounces egg noodles. NOTE! Store bought noodles just don't work well with this recipe! I make my own using 1 egg, 2 cups flour, pinch of salt & 1/8 teaspoon white pepper. (see Below) If needed for thickening: 2 Tablespoons Flour 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup water Method: In a large,heavy bottomed stock pot or ceramic lined cast iron pot, add the first 8 ingredients: beef cubes, salt, pepper, bay leaf, soup bone, celery, carrot, water to cover (about 8 cups). Cover the pot and heat over high heat until it reaches a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beef cubes are fork-tender about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and using a slotted spoon, remove the beef cubes and place in a bowl. Remove the soup bone and trim any lean meat, cut into bite-sized pieces, and add to the beef cubes. Discard the bone. I usually remove the marrow and add to the stock or give the whole bone to a worthy dog. Cover the bowl of meat and refrigerate. Strain the remaining stock with a sieve into a bowl or Large measuring cup discarding the vegetables and bay leaf. Measure the liquid and make a note of how much you have. Pour the liquid into a large mixing bowl and refrigerate. When cold, use a tablespoon or large spoon to skim the congealed fat off the top of the broth and discard the fat. Cover the remaining broth and refrigerate. All of the previous steps can be done ahead of time, even the day before. 30 Minutes before serving: In a large pot, add the reserved broth, and enough other stock to total 10 Cups of liquid. stir to blend. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the Noodles to the boiling stock/broth. boil uncovered until slightly soft (about 8 minutes) add the beef cubes, boiling briefly until heated through. If the broth looks thick enough, like a thin gravy, you are done. If it is too thin, make the thickening out of the ingredients listed above. By adding them to a seal-able jar, cover and shake vigorously until smooth and all clumps are gone. Add this thickening sauce to the pot and simmer briskly until the broth thickens. (About 2 minutes) Serve immediately. In Iowa, they are served over mashed potatoes, but are delicious by themselves. Egg Noodles: On a large surface, put the 2 cups of flour in a mound, making a well in the center. Break the egg into the well, and using a fork, stir the egg only until well mixed. add the salt and white pepper to the egg. Continue stirring more and more of the flour into the egg until a dough ball begins to form. Knead until smooth, and roll out thin, dusting the board with flour to keep from sticking until the dough is about 1/8". Cut the dough into 4" strips, placing one on top of the other adding a light dusting of flour between each layer. Once all the strips are stacked, turn so you can cut the 4" side into the desired thickness. (I like about 1/4 to 3/8" thick noodles.) The finished noodles will be 4" x 1/8" x 1/4". Place the noodles on a large cookie sheet and dust well with flour to keep them separated until they are dried out, about 2-3 hours. Shake the majority of the flour off before adding the noodles to the broth.

When I make chicken stock I let it sit overnight and then skim the fat from the top when it hardens, it's nearly fat free and so I don't think that's a huge issue, but there's a place for vegetable stock too. Truthfully? I don't make it often but I have that big gallon freezer bag in my freezer. Limp celery and celery tops go in there, along with carrot "ends", the tougher outside layers of onions, the last bit of corn or green beans. When it's full I make stock. I add several cloves of garlic, some fresh parsley and always a bay leaf or two, I love bay leaves. I also toss in some fresh thyme from the herb garden if it's in season, add a couple of quarts of water and simmer for a couple of hours. Depending on what I have on hand I've been known to toss in corn cobs, parsnips, the stems from swiss chard or collards. I added some pea pods once but didn't like that more assertive flavor, it seemed to overwhelm the other stuff but that's a matter of taste I think. Salt and pepper to taste but if you add the thyme, the garlic and the bay leaf it doesn't need much salt. Annie

I make beef stock, taking it down to a Demi Glace , twice a year. Here is what I do.You can stop after making the stock or go further and make the Brown Sauce and Demi. I often only do stock. Demi Glace and Brown Sauce made from stock For Stock 5 Or 6 Pounds Of Beef Bones, Veal Bones ,Maybe More 2 Celery Stalks Chopped 1 Onion Chopped 2 Carrots Chopped For Brown Sauce 3 carrots chopped 4 celery ribs chopped 1 Large Onion Or 2 Small chopped 1 cups Butter 1 Cup Flour 3 TBSP tomato paste 12 Cups hot beef stock Thyme, Bay Leaf, Parsley For Demi Glace 2 Tbl Maderia additional beef stock equal to The Brown Sauce � For the Beef Broth Drizzel the bones and veggie with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the veggies and beef bones in the oven at 400 degres for 30 minutes, turn and cook 30 minutes more or until lovely and carmelized. �Place in a large stock pot and cover with 18 cups of cold water. Simmer for 4-6 hours. Strain, place in fridge. In the morning skim off fat. For the Brown Sauce ( Sauce Espagnole) Saute mirepoix ( chopped onons, carots and celery) in butter until the onions are light golden brown. Add tomato paste and continue cooking gently. Make a brown roux over low heat in a heavy pan with 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of flour. When the roux is a hazelnut color, add two thirds of� Hot beef broth. (Reserve one third for demi glace), and whisk together. Add the vegetables, as well as a bay leaf, a little thyme and some parsley stems. Simmer the mixture for 2 to 3 hours, skimming off the scum that rises to the surface. Strain it through a fine strainer, and press the mirepoix gently to extract their juices.� Chill over night. Skim off fat.~ Then, for the demi-glace, add an equal amount of beef or veal stock, bring it to a boil, and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, again skimming the surface as necessary. Off the heat, add 2 tablespoons Madeira. Freeze in ice cube trays. Note re liquid amounts. Use 2/3 of stock for Brown Sauce and reserve 1/3 for the Demi. For the Demi use equal amounts of brown sauce and stock.

DC appears to be correct. I broiled 2 minutes per side, rested for five minutes, and they were flavorful and tender. I guess the shape, and fat marbling, threw me. I've only seen filet mignon in thick medallions with little, to no, fat.