My mom needs help with demi glace

[BAPyessir6]

So my mom got a bunch of veal and cow bones, and she wanted to try making demi glace. She roasted the bones (400 f for 45 minutes) then threw them in the pot with about 5 gallons of water (like 15 pounds of bones?)

After simmering 10 hours, she's finding the bones are sticking to the bottom of the pot, despite her keeping the pot full of water, stirring every hour, and adding water as needed.

I've never had this happen before, though I've only made demi once. What causes this sticking if there's enough water? And more importantly, should she throw the stock now? Is it ruined?

(Her picture of the bottom of the pot she texted me). What do you guys think?

She says it tastes boney. I don't think she burned it?

 

[pictonguy]

Never have I've had bones stick to the bottom of a stock pot, in over 50 years. You also don't stir every hour and if that was actually done then I don't see how bones could have stuck which I suspect would be from not enough water and too high of a heat. Also when making a stock especially a demi you don't keep adding water to the pot, that defeats the whole purpose. I'm also not quite sure what I'm looking at. Sorry I could be more help it's a little perplexing actually.

 

[BAPyessir6]

Never have I've had bones stick to the bottom of a stock pot, in over 50 years. You also don't stir every hour and if that was actually done then I don't see how bones could have stuck which I suspect would be from not enough water and too high of a heat. Also when making a stock especially a demi you don't keep adding water to the pot, that defeats the whole purpose. I'm also not quite sure what I'm looking at. Sorry I could be more help it's a little perplexing actually.

It's the bottom of her pot where her bone stuck.

She told me it was kind of a harder boil. If it's not at a simmer, maybe that could encourage the fat/skin that falls off the bones to stick?

 

[pictonguy]

I really don't know what to say except you don't want to boil a stock and actually the slightest bubbling action is what we want to see and that's why it takes 15-18 hours to reduce and suspect the boney taste is from the lack of reduction or/and additional ingredients that have not yet been verbalized.

 

[BAPyessir6]

I really don't know what to say except you don't want to boil a stock and actually the slightest bubbling action is what we want to see and that's why it takes 15-18 hours to reduce.

Do you think I should tell her to toss it and start again? I know any slight burn can totally ruin the whole pot.

 

[pictonguy]

Do you think I should tell her to toss it and start again? I know any slight burn can totally ruin the whole pot.

I suggest your Mom does a little research on demi glace and research 3 or 4 recipes and maybe watch a couple of you tube video's.

 

[BAPyessir6]

I suggest your Mom does a little research on demi glace and research 3 or 4 recipes and maybe watch a couple of you tube video's.

Okay I'll tell her that!

Thanks for the help; you awesome!

 

[dragnlaw]

I'm sort of wondering if you Mom also understands the term 'Simmering'?
The picture is a bit hard to decipher as well. Honestly that 'bone' looks completely carbonized. l'd hate to hurt her feelings but everything you've said suggests that. Even after 10 hours, she shouldn't have had to add more water.

 

[jennyema]

You don’t boil it or add water. You always barely simmer and reduce to make Demi glacé

Demi glacé is by definition a sauce that’s been reduced by at least half.

Pictonguy is right on with his observations.

 

[BAPyessir6]

I'm sort of wondering if you Mom also understands the term 'Simmering'?
The picture is a bit hard to decipher as well. Honestly that 'bone' looks completely carbonized. l'd hate to hurt her feelings but everything you've said suggests that. Even after 10 hours, she shouldn't have had to add more water.

Yeah. I told her to turn the heat down several times when we video chatted, but she has a strange tendency to ask me for cooking advice, listen intensely, then not take it.

She's starting again with new bones, so hopefully this time she'll listen. I told her to just use the old stock in soup or something as long as it's fine. If everything else fails, I'll give her a few cubes of mine I made a few months ago.