Fat sinking to bottom of stock
So I've made stock a couple of times in the last couple of months - one batch of chicken stock and one of beef neckbone stock - and I've come across a problem I've never seen before.
After cooling, the majority of the fat in both batches sunk to the bottom of the containers they were in. It's definitely at least mostly fat, since there was almost no fat layer to speak of on top (as there should be.)
The thought crossed my mind that it could be the storage containers, since I used regular mouth Mason jars for the beef stock, but I store my chicken stock in a big pitcher since I use it so often, and the same thing happened there.
Two different sized pots, as well: the chicken was the same 20-qt aluminum pot I always use, and the beef in a heavier stainless pot that's only 8-qt or so. Therefore, I wouldn't imagine it was the pot.
The only thing different was the butcher for the beef: our butcher where I live now is MUCH higher quality than what I used to have access to.
As a side note, while thickened, the fat did not solidify as per usual, which suggests it wasn't saturated fat (right?), but with beef...?
Does anyone have any idea what may have caused this weirdness, and how can I prevent it?
Best Answer
Gelatin. All bones and connective have gelatin and collagen. When you cook bones slowly and gently for a long time, the gelatin leaches out in the water. Being heavier, it sinks. It isn't marrow. Marrow will stay in the beef bone until you spoon it out (lucky you). If it did fall out, it would stay in one piece. But I believe the substance you found in the bottom of your soup pot is the natural gelatin from the bones in your stock!
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Should fat be removed from stock?
It's necessary to skim the fat as you boil down stock to preserve the integrity of the flavors. You want the pure, meaty essence of the bird and the earthy goodness of the vegetables to shine through, not the fat.Should you remove fat from bone broth?
Usually in the process of making bone broth, foam on the top has to be skimmed while the broth is cooking. However if there is an oily/fatty substance on top after making the broth, it makes no difference whether or not you skim.Can you use the fat from stock?
Yes, it is really chicken fat rendered during the stock making process. Called schmaltz in Yiddish, it is an ingredient in its own right. For example, you can use it to fry foods, or instead of butter in creating a roux, when you would like the chickeny flavor it provides.We don't expect to see a market bottom until the Fed tightening cycle ends: Strategist
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Answer 2
Maybe it's not fat but marrow from the inside of the bones. If they were hollow after you'd cooked them, that's a sign.
Answer 3
If you microwave chicken skins to get most of the fat out .( I do this when I cook chicken for my dog and put the crispy skins back in the mix) you will find that a substance will form on the bottom of the container which will presumably be the natural gelatin from the connective tissue in the skins. I usually put this back in the stock.
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