Beef Stock For French Onion Soup

• 3 lbs of neck of beef chopped up (with meat on).
• 1 lb of chopped veal on the bone.
• 1 small ham bone, about 1/2 lb.
• 2 lg. yellow onions
• 3 lg. carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 leeks, thickly sliced
• 3-4 celery stalks, thickly sliced
• 2 oz. beef dripping
• A few mushroom stalks
• 2-3 over ripe tomatoes
• Salt
• 3 parsley sprigs
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove
• 9 black peppercorns

1. 1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. 2. Trim any excess fat from meat.
3. 3. Place beef and veal bones and the ham in a roasting pan. Add chopped onions, carrots, leeks, & celery & dot with beef dripping.
4. 4. Roast bones & vegetables in oven for 40-45 mins, turning occasionally, until richly browned.
5. 5. Scrape contents of roasting pan into a large stock pot. Add mushroom stalks and soft tomatoes.
6. 6. Add 1 cup cold water to roasting pan; bring to the boil & scrape bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen all the crusty bits stuck there. Pour over meat & vegetables in stock pot & add 5 1/2 pints cold water.
7. 7. Place pan over heat & bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that surfaces, then add a little salt and skim again.
8. 8. When all scum has been skimmed off, add herbs, bay leaf, clove & peppercorns, and simmer gently for 3 hours.
9. 9. Strain stock through a fine sieve into a large bow and allow to cool before skimming off fat. Store until ready to use.

neck of beef, veal, ham bone, yellow onions, carrots, leeks, celery stalks, beef dripping, mushroom stalks, tomatoes, salt, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, clove, black peppercorns

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/beef-stock-for-french-onion-soup-50009758 (may not work)