Stocks and Broths

Stock is the liquid foundation of sauce making — water enriched with dissolved proteins, gelatin, minerals, and flavor compounds extracted from bones, meat, and vegetables. The distinction between stock (from Germanic “tree trunk” — basic supply) and broth (from 1000 CE Germanic “bru” — boiled) is largely historical; both are collagen extractions flavored by slow simmering.

Extraction science

Collagen in bones, skin, and connective tissue dissolves into gelatin when heated in water. The extraction is slow: a standard 8-hour simmer releases only ~20% of beef bone gelatin. The process has distinct phases: