Meat Broth
(Brodo di Carne)
Ingredients:
2 pounds veal shanks, bones and scraps
2 pounds beef scraps and bones, preferably from knuckles
1 pound chicken bones and scraps
2 small carrots, peeled and cut into pieces
1 large celery stalk, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
A few sprigs of fresh parsley
2 small ripe tomatoes
Salt to taste
Directions:
Wash bones, meat scraps and vegetables thoroughly under cold running water.
Put all ingredients, except salt, in a large stockpot and cover with 3 to 4 inches of cold water.
Cover pot partially, and bring liquid to a gentle boil over medium heat.
As soon as water begins to bubble, reduce heat to low and skim off all foam that rises to surface of the water.
Cook, barely simmering, about 3 hours.
Season with salt only during last few minutes of cooking, because broth reduces considerably and its flavor becomes more accentuated. Makes about 2 quarts.
Note: If you are planning to use broth within a few hours, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer directly into another pot, and remove fat that comes to surface of broth with a spoon, or by dragging a piece of paper towel over broth surface.
If broth is for later use, strain it into several small containers and place containers in a basin of iced water to cool completely. It can be kept in refrigerator, tightly covered, 2 to 3 days.
Before using, remove fat that has solidified on surface. The broth is now fat free and ready to use or to freeze. Bring broth to a full boil before using.