In the world of fine cooking, dark meat stock is an essential ingredient in the kitchen. Dark stocks basically replicate the same flavors savored from grilled meats, roasted vegetables and caramelized onions, but in a pure liquid form.

This incredibly flavorful liquid allows chefs to inject immediate flavor into their dishes and lays the foundation for them to create many wonderful soups, stews and braised dishes. In fact, a rich dark stock is a saucier’s building block used to create an impressive repertoire of both simple and complex sauces.

This lesson builds upon the principles in the lesson on How to Make Stock Fundamentals. Here, in this lesson, you will learn the difference between white and dark stocks, how to develop flavor through caramelizing and deglazing and how to make a dark stock from beginning to end.

If there was one foundational preparation that connects the home cook to the world of the professional, it would be dark stock. With a good homemade dark stock on hand, you will be able to make many simple meals and tackle more complex dishes with courage. This will allow you to execute many special menu ideas and create a variety of restaurant-calibre dishes.