Just Cook It!: Broth or stock– two different liquids
We are well into January and, for most people, that signifies the end of the holiday season. For us foodies though, the holidays never really end. Each day of the year is technically a national food holiday of some sort. The entire month of January is actually National Soup Month.
We have been celebrating National Soup Month each Saturday in January on Just Cook It Radio by making a different soup live in studio. Last Saturday, we were making Stuffed Pepper Soup (get the recipe at JustCookIt.net) when my co-host Bill Alexander asked me a great question. I answered it during the broadcast, but it was such a great question that it warrants an extended answer and even it’s own column.
Bill asked me, “What is the difference between stock and broth?” Most people use the terms, and even the liquid itself, interchangeably, but there is a distinct difference between the two. Explaining the exact difference is a bit tricky and semantics can get in the way, but I am going to be as thorough as possible so that you have a complete understanding between the two.
Let’s first look at the definition of the term “stock” as presented in the dictionary. The term “stock” has 44 different dictionary definitions, and I had to read all the way to number 19 to get the one pertinent to our discussion.
Stock — (19) a liquid or broth in which meat, fish, bones, or vegetables have been simmered for a long time.
The operative word in the above definition is bones. Veal, beef or chicken bones are most commonly used when making a stock. The cartilage and connective tissue in the bones is what creates the flavor of the stock. Connective tissue contains collagen, which gets converted into gelatin that thickens the liquid. A stock made from bones needs to be simmered for a longer period of time than a stock made from meat.
While it is technically acceptable to make a stock from bones, meat or even both, bones are very important to creating a great stock. The bones give the stock a much fuller mouth feel and richer flavor due to the gelatin being released as described above.
Another way to explain stock is that it is the liquid produced by simmering raw ingredients. The solids are then removed, or strained, leaving a thin highly flavored liquid.
Stock is an unseasoned liquid that, in all honesty, won’t tantalize your taste buds on it’s own. However, it is a fantastic neutral base for soups, sauces and other dishes that you are creating.
Now that you are clear on what a stock actually is, what technically is a broth? Again, let’s turn to the dictionary for its explanation in definition form. The term broth only has three definitions listed, but definition number two gives the best description for our discussion.
Broth — (2) water that has been boiled with meat, fish, vegetables or barley.
Broth typically consists of water, or an already flavored stock, in which bones, meat, fish, cereal grains or other vegetables have been simmered. Broth differs from stock in that it is a basic soup where the solid pieces of meat, fish, and/or vegetables remain. Broth is also commonly made more substantial with the addition of starches such as pasta, rice or barley.
Broths, unlike stocks, get to be seasoned. Salt, pepper, and other spices are added to a broth to enhance the flavor. Broth, as a liquid, has a much better flavor than stock.
Whereas stock is commonly used as a base for other dishes, broth usually is the dish. You would be correct in saying that a seasoned stock is actually a broth. Usually when a broth is made the ingredients it is made with are consumed in the broth, such as with a soup.
When we would make our stocks in the professional kitchen that I was trained in, we would make them with lesser cuts of meat and vegetable scraps that would have otherwise been discarded. Carrot ends, celery leaves, tomato tops and bottoms, fennel cores, onion tops and bottoms, are a few of the ingredients that were put to use for making stock.
Using these scraps didn’t degrade the stock, as those particular vegetables would have been used anyway. It simply allowed us to use what would otherwise just be wasted, and since the stock gets strained of its ingredients after the flavors have been extracted, it created a win/win situation.
When we would make broths, we would use the stocks we made as a base and then use fresh cuts of vegetables to flavor and garnish the broth, which would then be eaten as soup or other dish. The fresh and precise cuts of the vegetables and other ingredients made the broth or finished dish more appealing and desirable.
Stock was used as the base of the broth and the scraps from the fresh cut vegetables, which were used to garnish or enhance the stock into a broth, were then used to make the next batch of stock. It’s the ingredient circle of life in the kitchen.
Finally, let’s touch on bouillon cubes and soup bases. I am not opposed to using bouillon cubes or bases as a flavor enhancer for stocks or dishes you are preparing. I am, however, opposed to using bouillon cubes or bases mixed with water as the initial stock.
The word bouillon is actually French for stock, but these salty cubes should never be used exclusively with water for making stock. Bouillon cubes are cubes of dehydrated vegetables, meat stock, a small amount of fat, salt and other seasonings.
Bouillon cubes contain a salt content of 59 percent to 72 percent, which is another reason to use them sparingly and just when you are looking for a flavor enhancer, not the flavor itself.
I hope this answers the question between a stock and a broth. They are two similar, but different, liquids. They are made similarly, but differently, and used for different purposes in the kitchen.
Enjoy what’s left of National Soup Month and — Just Cook It!
Mario J. Porreca of Belle Vernon is a food personality, author, and the host of Just Cook It on WMBS Radio 590 AM. He can be reached via his website at: www.JustCookIt.net. Twitter: @MarioPorreca