Horsefeathers Ostrich Farm of Webster, NH had posted a request for any Chef who would like to help create some dishes using their local-raised ostrich shanks. Several people did reply back with a resounding "YES", including myself! It didn't take long for a reply to come back and here we are! The ultimate goal is to help potential new and current Ostrich-meat customers learn just about how amazing their dishes can be, with a little help from some friends in the community. I have a featured video that introduces this awesome New Hampshire farm right here on my YouTube channel.
Besides specialty cuts, Horsefeathers also offers bones and knuckles! For what I am planning ahead of the game, I know I am going to need a stock to work with. So, with a recent trip, they were kind enough to gift me with both bones and knuckles for this project. There are just a few notes about creating this stock to keep in mind. So, let's get this started!
PLEASE NOTE: This is a bulk recipe. You will need several sturdy freezer containers with lids or the space in your freezer to lay flat a bunch of filled sealable freezer bags. Where most packages have a 5lb average, you can easily cut this in half for smaller batch-making.
The video demonstration is on my YouTube channel.
INGREDIENTS:
2 - 5lb (906g) Horsefeathers Ostrich Bones
Kosher Salt Black pepper, ground
Granulated Garlic
Water
Set your oven to 450°F/232°C.
In a roasting pan or on sheet pans, lightly coat the pan in vegetable oil. With equal parts of your spices, gently coat the bottom of the pan and smear the entire bottom.
Open your bags of bones/knuckles right into your seasoned pan. Arrange the bones in a way that everything is as flat and has exposure to heat.
Wash your hands and dry them off.
Somewhat liberally apply your spice mixture on the bones. Make sure you are holding your hand above the pan. This will allow equal distribution of spices to coat the bones evenly. Sit this on the counter for up to 30 minutes (completely thawed) to bring the bones up to room temperature.
Place your pans in the oven and set the timer for 45 minutes. DO NOT roast these bones any longer than 45 minutes to avoid burning them.
Set up a large pot of about two-thirds with fresh water. Place this on your burner and turn on the heat to medium heat. Once the oven timer goes off, remove the pans from the oven.
Carefully empty the entire contents of the roasted bones, juices, etc., into the pot. Set a timer for 45 minutes to begin working the stock. Where ostrich is very lean, I found that the scum and gritty bits started showing around the 30 minute mark. By the end of the cooking time, (approximately 45min to 1hr), shut the heat off.
Into a large bowl, set up a strainer with two layers of cheesecloth. Begin to ladle the hot stock through the lined strainer. Be careful about splash-back. Store in freezer-friendly containers in the refrigerator. Or, use freezer-safe zip-style bags. Lay them flat to freeze in sheets in the freezer.
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