Comments on: Stock Convictions

By: JB

JB — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 16:31:16 +0000

What would you think about veal stock left to simmer in an oven all night; with the oven accidentally turned off? I came in this morning to add aromatics expecting to find my stock at a safe 190; at some point, the oven turned off, and it was 119. Not cold, as you describe sitting unheated on the stove, but a bacteria-loving slightly warm environment. I boiled it, then put it back into the now-190 degree oven, where it is now, but would you risk it? I have no idea how long the oven was off.

By: Food Liberation Front » Blog Archive » Oh No He Didn’t!

Food Liberation Front » Blog Archive » Oh No He Didn’t! — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 18:50:47 +0000

[...] Chef and author Michael Ruhlman explains why it is perfectly safe to leave a pot of chicken stock sitting out all week. [...]

By: chicken stock quiz « Loonyville

chicken stock quiz « Loonyville — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:12:03 +0000

[...] ran across a story on Michael Ruhlman’s blog about proper preparation of chicken stock and his practice of leaving his stock out on the stove [...]

By: Veal Stock Contest! | Michael Ruhlman

Veal Stock Contest! | Michael Ruhlman — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:06:53 +0000

[...] My recent post on chicken stock [...]

By: emilia

emilia — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 02:00:36 +0000

Yes the links have some issues at the moment from Opensky as they are changing their website. I will let Michael know that you are interested in the cloths, they are fab.

By: etienne

etienne — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:30:02 +0000

Unfortunately, all of the links on this page,
http://ruhlman.com/2010/12/introducing-ruhlman-com-kitchen-tools.html

to OpenSky are now broken. How can I get my hands on those nice all-strain cloths?

By: Awareness In the Kitchen | Michael Ruhlman

Awareness In the Kitchen | Michael Ruhlman — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:48:07 +0000

[...] now, to the bumpy texture of your Hollandaise (add some water or it will break), knowledge about how bacteria work to the fact that the bread you just threw away instead of turning it into useable crumbs or bread [...]

By: Mr. West

Mr. West — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:46:47 +0000

Botulism toxin is destroyed at 176°F. Staph toxins are not destroyed by heat. However, since the initial cooking would kill the bacteria, the stock would need to be recolonized by staph or ecoli to get contaminated with heat stable toxins. If there is enough toxin in the inital batch to make you sick, then it would not matter if it was kept on the stove or refrigerated.

Covering the pot and not cooking if your are sick would prevent recolonization.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:08:43 +0000

Actually it is! I’m so glad that I made it. I got a great gelatin texture to it once I cooled it in the fridge, and the taste (once I added a bit of salt) is so much better than anything I’ve ever bought in a box or reconstituted from the demi-glace they have in the supermarket.

By: ruhlman

ruhlman — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:47:41 +0000

I don’t put ends and peelings in my stock. A stock pot is not a garbage can. That said, I remove outer dirty dried onion skin, but if there is clean smooth brown onion skin, I do add that if making a roasted stock because it adds color and flavor.

By: Valerie

Valerie — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:41:03 +0000

I have a big bag of bones in the freezer waiting to be made into stock. Before I do, can you clear up a question for me? A lot of people say to save all your veg ends and peelings for stock making, which makes sense. But some of them say to *include* onion skins for great flavor, while others say *not* to include onion skins because it will make the stock cloudy or dark or sour or something.

Which is it? Should I use onion skins in my stock, or not?

Thanks!

By: ruhlman

ruhlman — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:20:54 +0000

I can’t explain it either, given all that you say. Also, I think it’s probably fine if the stock simply stays above 160. What’s important though is that you’re thinking. You’re paying attention. You’re evaluating your stock and youre evaluating your tools and using your common sense. I’m betting your stock is excellent.

By: ruhlman

ruhlman — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 03:36:37 +0000

again, i shouldn’t comment, but if you would read more carefully, it wasn’t restaurant bocuse I was blaming for food poisoning but rather the crappy hotel food i ate the day before. bocuse is a hero.

By: Jay

Jay — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 23:01:09 +0000

You say food poisoning is unlikely with your stocks and then bad mouth a world renown chef.

It probably wasn’t food poisoning, more likely somebody that had too much to eat.. or drink…….

By: kevi

kevi — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:56:33 +0000

your such a renegade

By: luis

luis — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:52:36 +0000

I am finally fed up with store bought stock, freezer aisle convenient chicken.. from the inside of me. After reading this blog forever there has been a mindset shift in me. Maybe I am beginning to discern fresh from frozen and organic from non-… but this change seems to be coming from inside me and its non reversible.
Prices for food have gone up at the same time I realize that cheap food is crap. Thanks Boss….. and yes I am making stock whenever I buy whole chickens.

By: Nina

Nina — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 22:42:19 +0000

This is quite basic version of chicken stock. I always use also celeriac, parsley (leaves and root), allspice, lovage

very often also thyme and rosemary and… a small piece of fresh ginger

all vegetables are often peeled – it is important for taste. I don’t peel an onion – use in whole instead, additionally I kind of burn it in an open fire – it turns out black and gives a nice flavour to the stock.

By: Our top 5 meal priorities: part 3, broth « Yolks, kefir, and gristle

Our top 5 meal priorities: part 3, broth « Yolks, kefir, and gristle — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 00:08:20 +0000

[...] to get it into the fridge/freezer, and we’ve never gotten sick from this procedure. And apparently we don’t even need the tight-fitting lid, according to Chef Bob’s friend Michael Ruhlman. (I think I’ll stick with what works [...]

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 22:34:11 +0000

What oven temperature do you need when the pot is uncovered, as per the instructions ? I am making the stock today, and after bringing it to 180F on the stovetop I put it in my oven which was preheated to 200°. The temperature promptly started to drop. I brought it back to 180 on the stove top and increased the oven temp by 10°. Still the temperature dropped.

I kept repeating this cycle, watching in amazement as I got my oven to 250F before I could get the liquid to stay at 180F. I’m using a Thermapen to measure the liquid so I think it’s accurate. And I have both an oven thermometer and an infrared thermometer that say my oven is at 250, so I don’t think it’s just a miscalibrated oven dial.

This is my first time making stock, so I don’t really know what to expect. I wanted to check and see if other people need to set their oven considerably higher than 200F in order to keep the stock at 180F. I understand with an uncovered pot there is going to be some cooling from surface evaporation, but this is way beyond what I would have expected. And the instructions Michael Ruhlman posted say to set the oven at under 200.

By: Laura

Laura — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 17:27:35 +0000

Thanks so much for the article. IMHO people are far too paranoid about bacteria and germs in general. I almost never get my stock put away rapidly. I rarely have space on my stove top or in my fridge or freezer so I always pressure can it and store it that way. Since I pressure can it I don’t consider leaving something out overnight is a danger.