Beef vs Veal Bones: Which Makes a More Gelatinous and Flavorful Stock?

Stock and broth are flavorful foundations for soups, stews, risottos, gravies, and more. When making stock at home, the choice of bones is key to extracting the most gelatin, collagen, and nutrients Two popular options are beef and veal bones But which makes a more gelatinous and nutritious stock? Let’s compare the pros and cons of beef vs veal bones.

What Makes a Gelatinous Stock?

The hallmarks of a gelatinous stock are a rich, thick texture and mouth-coating sensation. This comes from collagen in the bones and connective tissue breaking down into gelatin during prolonged simmering. Gelatin molecules attract and hold onto water, increasing viscosity.

More collagen in the bones means more potential gelatin to create a luxurious, silky broth. The type of bones used impacts collagen content. Veal bones contain the highest percentage of collagen because they come from young calves. But beef bones also contain ample collagen.

For maximum gelatin, choose bones with connective tissue like knuckles, feet, necks, and joints. Simmering time is also key – aim for at least 12-24 hours.

Benefits of Veal Bones for Stock

Many chefs insist veal bones make the most gelatinous stock. Here’s why they prefer using veal bones:

Higher collagen content: The collagen content in veal bones is around 20% by weight, versus 10-15% in beef bones. More collagen equals more gelatin once simmered.
Milder flavor: Veal stock has a more delicate, subtle flavor compared to beef stock. This makes it suitable for finer dishes where you don’t want the stock itself to dominate.
Smooth texture: With ample gelatin, veal stock has a rich, velvety mouthfeel. The high collagen content makes it almost creamy.
Cost effective: Ounce for ounce, veal bones provide more gelatin than beef bones, so you get more bang for your buck.
Easy to find: While once rare, veal bones are now widely available at specialty butcher shops and online stores.

Benefits of Beef Bones for Stock

Despite somewhat lower collagen content, beef bones offer unique advantages for stock-making:

Richer flavor: The bolder, beefier taste of stock made from beef bones provides robust depth of flavor.
Higher nutrients: Minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc are more abundant in beef bones, delivering added nutrition.
Joint health benefits: Compounds like chondroitin and glucosamine in beef bones promote joint health.
Gut healing properties: Glycine and other amino acids in beef bones can strengthen and repair digestive issues like leaky gut.
Immunity boost: Bone marrow in beef bones contains beneficial fats, vitamins, and minerals that support the immune system.
Convenience: Beef bones are cheaper and easier to source than veal bones at regular grocery stores.

Factors that Impact Gelatin Content

Keep these tips in mind to maximize gelatin when making stock with either beef or veal bones:

Choose bones with more connective tissue like marrow bones, knuckles, necks, feet, and joints. These yield the most collagen.
Opt for bones from younger animals as they contain more collagen. Veal comes from younger calves so their bones lead to more gelatin.
Use a mix of bones like marrow bones for flavor and knuckles for gelatin. Varying bones provides complexity.
The longer the simmer time, the more collagen converts to gelatin. Aim for at least 12-24 hours.
Adding chicken feet to the pot provides extra collagen and gelatin too.
Regularly skim fat and scum to keep the stock clear for maximum gelatin extraction.

Final Verdict: Beef vs Veal Bones for Stock

In the beef versus veal bone debate, both have merits for stock-making. Veal bones contain more total collagen, yielding a silkier broth. But beef bones offer richer flavor and more nutrients like joint-healthy chondroitin. For convenience, beef bones are widely available at an affordable price.

In the end, the “best” bones come down to your personal cooking needs. Make veal stock for an ultra-rich texture perfect for delicate dishes like risottos and sauces. Use beef bones when you want hearty, beefy flavor for soups and stews.

For the best of both worlds, use a combo of veal and beef bones in your stock. This balances velvety texture and deep taste. With the proper bones and long simmer time, you can achieve a rich, gelatinous stock using either veal or beef. Experiment with different bones and ratios to customize the flavor and mouthfeel of your stock.

How to Make Rich & Gelatinous Beef Bone Broth – Bone Broth Recipe

FAQ

Why should a stock made from beef or veal bones cook longer?

A stock made from beef or veal bones should cook longer than a stock made from fish bones because the larger bones of beef and veal take more time to release their flavors and nutrients. Additionally, the longer cooking time allows the collagen in the bones to break down and create a more viscous and flavorful stock.

Why are the bones of younger animals preferred when making stock?

Use bones from younger animals, because they have more cartilage that is rendered into gelatin, giving the stock better viscosity. Cut the bones small, about 3”, to extract the most flavors in the shortest cooking time. A combination of meaty and marrow bones gives the stock a rich flavor and body.

What is a stock made from beef or veal bones or the combination of two?

Types of stocks in cooking: Brown stock – Made with beef or veal bones placed in a lightly oiled roasting pan and browned in an oven. White stock – Uses Simmered and un-browned veal or beef bones that provide more delicate flavors. Chicken stock – Prepared by simmering chicken bones with mirepoix and seasonings.

When to use veal stock?

Concentrated veal stock is a great addition to any braised beef or lamb dish. It enriches any pan sauce it’s used in, really taking dishes to the next level.

What kind of Bones do you use in a beef stock?

You can use any assortment of bones your butcher has, but bones with bits of meat still attached will give more flavor, while connective-tissue-rich options like joints and feet will deliver more gelatin to the stock; you can also include some veal bones for even more gelatin.

Can veal bones be used for white stock?

Note that beef or veal bones can be used for either white or brown stocks: When making white stock, the bones are blanched first, or quickly boiled, then drained and rinsed, before simmering . For brown stock, the bones are roasted before simmering, and some sort of tomato product is usually added.

Is there a difference between beef stock and meat stock?

Since the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there isn’t an entirely clean answer, but technically speaking, there’s definitely a difference. A beef stock tends to be made with more bones than meat; when made properly, it contains so much gelatin that it sets to an almost rubbery density.

Is bone broth high in gelatin?

Instead, we want do do what we can to ensure that our bone broth is high in gelatin by selecting the best bones for bone broth and by cooking the bones at the right temperature for the right period of time. In doing so, the bones in our bone broth will release their collagen, and this collagen will turn into gelatin.