Tips

Why Blanch Bones Before Boiling or Making Stock?

By parboiling bones, you're not only clarifying the broth but also unlocking a host of other benefits.

9 September, 2024

Why is it important to blanch meat before cooking?

– Easier handling and reduced cooking time. For example, when cooking beef tenderloin, it is best to blanch it before slicing.

– Eliminates fishy odors and reduces slight bitterness and astringency in the meat.

– Removes impurities, resulting in clearer and cleaner broth. During high-temperature cooking, especially the meat’s juices and impurities, will coagulate, forming unappetizing scum with an unpleasant fishy smell. Removing this scum does not affect the dish’s appearance, color, or flavor.

– Gets rid of harmful purines found in meat.

Note:

When blanching meat or bones, avoid placing them directly into boiling water. Instead, start with cold water and gradually increase the temperature. This is because if you use boiling water, the protein on the meat’s surface will coagulate instantly, trapping the juices and impurities inside. As a result, the meat will still have an unpleasant fishy odor even after blanching.

The scum that forms during blanching is primarily composed of coagulated juices, food impurities, and fat that does not dissolve in water. By blanching, these insoluble impurities are removed, leaving you with a clear, grease-free, and more appealing broth.

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Frequently asked questions

Blanching bones is an important step in the process of making stock or boiling bones as it helps to remove impurities and improves the overall flavor and appearance of the final product. By blanching, you can eliminate any off-putting flavors or odors that might be present in the bones, resulting in a cleaner and more appealing stock or broth.

Blanching helps to remove any blood remnants and impurities from the bones, which can otherwise impart an unpleasant flavor and murky appearance to the stock. By blanching, you essentially clean the bones, ensuring that the resulting broth is more delicate and refined in taste.

The process of blanching does not significantly impact the nutritional value of the bones. While some water-soluble vitamins may be lost during the blanching process, the overall mineral content and nutritional benefits of the bones remain largely unaffected.

Blanching is a preliminary step where bones are briefly boiled in water and then immediately plunged into ice water to stop the cooking process. This helps to remove impurities and prepare the bones for further cooking. Boiling, on the other hand, is a longer process of cooking the bones to extract their flavor and nutrients to create a stock or broth.

The blanching time can vary depending on the type and size of the bones. Generally, a few minutes of blanching is sufficient. For larger bones, you may need to extend the blanching time accordingly.