Soup Bones, When the Stock Runs Out.
Lately I have been a little lazy when it comes to making stock. Too many things to do and an unwillingness to commit to the time needed to make proper stock.
Yet I have continued to make excellent soups, and broths for noodles, by using that age old standby of the home cook – soup bones and the equivalent.
First off let me clarify that nothing beats a real stock for flavour and body, especially body – when you have a gelatin rich stock, using a few soup bones as an alternative just does not match up.
That said, there is no reason why being too busy to make stock should mean that you cannot have soup, or noodle soup.
As a case in point, a hot favourite here is my Pork Noodle Soup with Fish balls. With stock, it is rich and sweet beyond compare. Lately, I have been making it without stock, by incorporating a few extra pork spare ribs.
The process and timing are exactly the same, but I increase the number of Pork Spare Ribs per portion to at least 6. And since I am not using stock, I give the broth ample time to develop flavour, so that by the time I dish out, it would probably have been simmering for 75 minutes or more - enough to give a pretty tasty broth. The meat is delightfully tender making the ribs excellent to eat, not just something that is in the soup for flavour.
The only seasoning I use for 1 litre / 4 cups broth is 1 tsp salt and about 2 tablespoons soy sauce. After the first tablespoon, I add a little soy sauce at a time and taste – I want it just a tad salty because the noodles, bean sprouts and any other vegetables I might add will offset this saltiness, making the final taste just nice.
And I do have cut chillies in soy sauce on the side.
Soups
I typically add ribs or chicken wings to soups also, especially predominantly vegetable soups, in order to give additional body and flavour.
If I happen to have a pack of pork soup bones handy I’ll use it, but it is more likely that I will have ribs or wings in the fridge.
Try it, you will not be disappointed for sure. But when time permits, make a batch of stock which you can save for the special dishes, now that you have this handy tip for ordinary days.
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