What is beef consomme? Don’t be disappointed if you don’t know what it is – because frankly, a lot of people are not familiar with this recipe.
Let me give you a brief background about it before I get into all the little details about it. By understanding what it literally means, as well as its history, you will get to appreciate it even more.
Consomme is a term that is used to refer to a particular broth recipe that’s been around since the 1500s (impressed yet?). It comes from the French word “consumer,” which means “eat” or “consume.”
Today, consommé is commonly used to refer to broth or stock. Technically, however, that’s wrong – because an authentic consommé is made up of unique ingredients. In fact, there are even variations to this dish that call for special procedures.
So, no – a consommé is not just a simple broth. It’s actually a fancy dish that’s delicious and healthy as well.
Prepare to be amazed at the incredible facts you are about to learn about a dish called beef consommé.
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What is Beef Consomme?
Beef consommé is also called clarified meat broth – I know that sounds more like a description, but at least, it’s a correct description of the recipe. Yes, a beef consommé is made from bone broth – but the end result is made up of clear liquid.
Is beef consommé the same as beef broth? Now, don’t be confused about this. The answer is no – they are not the same (it’s not even a beef consommé substitute). However, beef broth (homemade beef broth, in particular) is an essential ingredient in a beef consommé recipe.
Like other recipes, there are also many different ways to prepare beef consommé. The variations cover simple recipes to really complicated ones. Obviously, the simple recipes are very easy to prepare. However, the complicated versions of this dish can truly be difficult (and time-consuming).
Today, you will find out about some tips and tricks that will allow you to create your very own beef consommé. While this is originally a French recipe, you can always put a twist in its preparation to make it your own original recipe.
7 Incredible Facts on How to Make It
How to Make Beef Consomme the Easy Way
Beef Consomme Via chewtheworld
The following instructions are not really intended to replace a full beef consommé recipe, that’s why you won’t see any proportions and amounts with regards to the ingredients.
The procedures here are simply intended to serve as your guide in the preparation of this recipe – that’s why you won’t see any instructions on what style of cuts is used for the ingredients. If you want a full recipe to help you out, click here to watch a video on an easy beef consommé recipe.
How To Make Beef Consomme Via Videojug
The ingredients to making beef consommé are as follows:
- Egg whites
- Ground beef (lean)
- White onion
- Tomatoes
- Celery sticks
- Carrots
- Bouquet garni (special spices)
- Salt and pepper
Procedures:
- Beat egg whites until frothy
- Put all the ingredients in a pot and mix everything well. You can use your hands to make sure that everything is well combined and that the ground beef is broken up properly.
- Add broth and stir everything up.
- Bring to a boil.
- Allow to a simmer.
- Wait for the raft to form (the surface of the mixture will solidify and pull all solid particles together – that is called a raft).
- Make a hole in the raft and allow the mixture to cook and bubble up through the open space.
- When done the cooking, strain the mixture using cheesecloth or coffee filter paper.
- The strained liquid is your beef consommé.
- You can serve the beef consommé topped with vegetables and another garnishing.
- Note: Keep in mind that beef consommé can be done in different ways (the recipe above is just an example of one). You can even make a beef consommé rice recipe if you want. Click here to try a rice casserole with beef consommé dish.
You Can Make Beef Consomme the Difficult Way by Using Gelatin Filtration
Gelatin/Agar Filtration Via instructables
If you want to take your beef consommé to a whole new level, you can use the Gelatin Filtration method for this. This filtration system involves a series of steps or procedures that you need to do in addition to the standard preparation of beef consommé.
You would want to use the Gelatin Filtration method if you want to further reduce the fatty content of your recipe. This also results in a clearer final dish because the recipe is further purified (and filtered) in the process.
The steps to Gelatin Filtration are listed below.
- Add gelatin powder to cooked (and already strained) beef consommé.
- Mix until well combined.
- Pour the mixture in ice cube trays or similar containers.
- Freeze.
- Take out the needed amount of frozen beef consommé from the freezer to thaw.
- Layer a strainer with several pieces of cheesecloth (or cheesecloth substitutes) and place the frozen pieces of beef consommé on these.
- Wait for all the liquid components to collect in the container.
- Enjoy a clearer, more filtered beef consommé dish.
You Should Know How to Make Beef Bone Broth from Scratch
Bone Broth Via healthista
Sorry, you can’t buy ready-made beef broth or a canned condensed beef broth to use in your beef consommé recipe. It requires homemade bone broth, you see. Otherwise, it will not deserve to be called beef consommé.
A great way to make a delicious and healthy beef bone broth is provided below. You can also watch the video by clicking here. For this recipe, prepare the following ingredients:
Beef Bone Broth, A Hearty Cup of Health Via farmtotablefamily
- 3.5 pounds of meaty beef bones (cubes)
- 1 ½ cup of rice wine
- 1 large white onion (halved)
- 5 slices of ginger
- 15 pieces of peppercorn
Procedures:
- Prepare 3.5 pounds of beef bones (meaty beef bones, to be exact).
- Soak the raw beef bones in cold water for about 20 to 30 minutes. This will cause the blood in the meat to clot and make it easier to clean. Some of the blood will also mix in with the water – for this reason, the water will be pinkish in color after the process.
- Boil a pot of water (enough to cover the beef bones) and put the meat bones in the pot.
- Let the meat bones cook for about 10 minutes. This process will remove impurities from the raw meat to result in a cleaner (and clearer) broth.
- Strain the meat bones and throw away the water.
- Rinse the pieces of meaty beef bones under running water to further remove blood and other impurities from them.
- Place the meat bones back in the pot.
- Throw in all the other ingredients in the pot (onion, ginger, peppercorns, and rice wine).
- Allow the mixture to boil (start with high heat).
- After boiling, reduce the heat (to low) and allow to simmer for about 8 hours.
- Use this broth for your beef consommé recipe (you can also use it as soup and broth).
- Note: For best results, allow the mixture to cool down and remove the fatty build up on the surface (if any). You now have a homemade beef broth on standby that you can use for your beef consommé.
You Should Know How to Make an Onion Brulee
Onion Brulee Via smartkitchen
Since you need an Onion Brulee to make an authentic beef consommé, you should learn how to make this recipe, too. Don’t worry, it only sounds complicated – but it’s very simple to do. Onion Brulee simply means “burnt” or “charred” onion – and that’s all you really need to do with the onion. Follow the step-by-step method listed below and you will be on your way to making a great dish.
- Peel a large white onion and cut it in half (cut across, in a way that you can see the ring marks of the onion.
- Cook the onion (with the cut side down) either on a hot pan or directly over the open fire (you can do this on a stove).
- The surface of the onion will caramelize because of the heat, and this will cause the onion to get charred. Some people don’t use oil in this step, but others prefer to put in a little bit of oil or butter (so, it’s up to you).
- When the cut side of the onion is already brown, remove it from the pan (or stove top).
- Your Onion Brulee is ready to be used in your recipe.
- Note: The result of the above procedures is what you call Onion Brulee. The color of the burnt onion and the taste of the caramelized onion will add color and flavor to the beef consommé.
You Should Know How to Make a Bouquet Garni
Bouquet garni Via cookingsensemag
Yes, you should know how to make a Bouquet Garni if you want to make a great beef consommé. And again, don’t panic – it only sounds complicated, but it literally translates to “herb sachet” (what’s so scary about that?).
Here’s a simple recipe to making a Bouquet Garni:
Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon thyme (dried)
- ½ teaspoon pepper granules
- 2 bay leaves (dried)
- 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 3 stalks parsley (chopped)
Procedures:
- Put all the ingredients in a mesh bag or small cooking sachet. (You now have a Bouquet Garni)
- Throw the Bouquet Garni in a simmering beef consommé. Remove it once the dish is cooked.
- Note: If you’re using fresh herbs that can all be tied up, you can simply use a string to create a bouquet of spices (no need for a mesh bag). In the recipe given above, the bouquet included ingredients that can’t be tied up with a string, that’s why a mesh bag was used instead). To learn how to create different types of Bouquet Garni, click here (video).
How to Make a Bouquet Garni - 4 different techniques Via Chef Eric Arrouzé
Beef Consomme is Good for Your Health
Beef Consomme Via saveur
Chicken soup, which is a type of broth, is said to be good for a person’s health. In fact, eating this type of food when you’re not feeling well will immediately make you feel better. No, it’s not just a psychological thing – it’s true because such recipes are made with healthy ingredients.
Broths are generally nutritious and delicious – and this is true for the beef consommé as well. The truth is, it’s even more nutritious than other broth and soup recipes because it’s a special kind of dish. It uses different types of vegetables and spices and special preparatory procedures that make it truly special.
Unlike other types of soup and broth recipes, beef consommé can be enjoyed in both their hot and cold versions. A hot beef consommé makes for a great appetizer and it complements different types of main dishes as well. And since it’s served hot, it will also aid in digestion.
You will even appreciate beef consommé when it’s cold. In fact, there are people who prefer to consume this dish in its cold state. The dish is simply flavorful with all its spices – and don’t forget the filtration method it involves. Your taste buds will enjoy this recipe in any temperature, believe it or not.
Here are Tips and Tricks to Making the Best Beef Consomme
How to make a consommé Via greatbritishchefs
Follow the tips listed below and you are guaranteed to make the best-tasting beef consommé.
- Use only lean ground beef when making beef consommé (it contains less fat and will make the filtration process easier).
- Use lean parts of beef for the broth. For this, you can use the shank, neck or shoulder parts.
- Make your own (homemade) beef broth. While you can buy prepacked beef broth in the supermarket, this cannot be used in making beef consommé (it will affect the taste and quality of the dish).
- If you’re always making dishes like beef consommé, make sure that you have a good pot for such types of recipes (they require a lot of simmering).
- Stock up on small mesh bags for the herbs as this is another important step in making a delicious beef consommé.
Beef Consomme for Good Health and Happy Meals
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Like you, I love beef consomme recipes, too. So, if you have suggestions, tips and tricks to making this dish even better, just leave a comment below.
For more healthy recipes like spaghetti squash recipe, asparagus recipe and salmon recipe, click here.
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