I've been recently experimenting with Minor's stock base. I picked up a tub (about the size of a yogurt container) each of chicken and beef from the local Costco.
These are very concentrated bases with a minimum of salt added. You probably use 1/4 of a spoonful to make 2-3 cups of stock. The results aren't nearly as good as using homemade, obviously, but they are much better than one normally would expect. I find them useful for weeknight rice making where I'd like something more flavorful of water.
Made a mushroom gravy with a very brown roux and some of the beef base -- I was surprised how well it turned out, in a mid-west cheap steakhouse kind of way. But I'll admit that before it was done I did toss in a few cubes of my oxtail glace to give it that extra mouthfeel.
Maybe that was cheating.
Posted by dowdy at May 13, 2004 03:30 PM