Pork Stock

By norsegal8

This pork stock is light in color but rich in flavor. You can use a mixture of any type of pork bones, including knuckle or neck, but do try and find a trotter - it will enhance both the taste and texture of the finished stock.
I always encourage using humanely raised pork and think it's especially important here. Good quality pork (and pork bones) will give you a broth that is meaty and pure. Lesser-quality so-called "commodity pork" results in a stock that has an ammoniated, unpleasant flavor.

Ingredients

• 5 pounds meaty pork bones
• 1 trotter, split lengthwise (ask your butcher to do this)
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

1. Blanch the bones; To ensure the pot is large enough to blanch the bones without boiling over, put the bones in the pot and add water to cover by 1 inch. Then remove the bones and bring the water to a boil, add half of the pork bones, return the water to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.

2. With a spider or tongs, remove the first batch of bones from the water and place in a colander. Return the water to a boil and repeat with the remaining pork bones. When all the bones have been blanched, rinse under cold running water. Rinse the pot and return the bones to the pot.

3. Add the trotter, onions, white peppercorns, salt and 6 quarts of cold water to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any scum that forms on the surface. Lower the heat so that the liquid is at a gentle simmer and simmer for 2 hours, skimming as needed to remove any scum that forms on the surface.

4. Remove from the heat and, using a spider or a slotted spoon, discard the large solids. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large container, let sit for a few minutes (or refrigerate overnight), then skim most of the fat from the surface (leave some, as it give the stock a better flavor and mouth feel). Use immediately, or let cool completely, then transfer to practical-sized airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.