Learn how to make some homemade lamb stock from scratch using your slow cooker. This stock is rich in flavour, aromatic using leftover lamb bones, onion, garlic, carrots, thyme, black pepper corns and bay leaves.
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Whether this is your first time or even if you're made stock at home before this recipe is for you.
I recently roasted a large leg of lamb for my loved ones and as I was about to throw away the bones, I quickly realised that I should save the bones to make lamb stock.
Lamb is one of my favourite types of meat because it is so tender and flavoursome when cooked right so it's only natural that I give a nod to this red meat by making some stock from the bones.
Lamb stock isn't just cooking liquid, I would describe it as a transformation liquid, the depth and aromatics from the herbs, spices and vegetables turn a would be sub par dish into a five star gourmet meal.
You can use this stock for stews, curries, graves or even soups - the list is endless for its use!
The key to a good homemade stock is in how you prepare the bones or meat if you're using any. In this case I primarily used leg bones with a few pieces of meat.
The bones should be roasted before you do anything because this caramelises the marrow which results in a deep, rich and flavoursome stock.
I like to roast the vegetables - garlic, onion and carrots at the same time as the bones because they also caramelise and help to give the stock a much better taste.
You can usually tell the difference between stock that is roasted and stock that is unroasted. The former being quite golden/dark in appearance while the latter being more thin/weak.
Furthermore, homemade stock unlike its storebought counterpart doesn't contain any additives and fillers.
You have better control over what ingredients you want in your stock, how much or how little is a matter of preference making it a much healthier option.
Slow cooker stock
Slow cooking stock is my favourite cooking method for a few reasons;
- It is a consistent gentle heat
- It prevents the stock from boiling
- You can set it and forgot it i.e. run errands or leave the unit on overnight
- It builds up the flavour over the course of several hours
- More energy/cost efficient - slow cookers are designed for cooking over several hours
- A great way to use scraps, leftover vegetables and helps to reduce food waste
These are just some of the reasons why I enjoy making my own stock in the slow cooker although I have made stock using my instant pot, usually when I am pressed for time and used the stovetop method in the initial stages of making my own stock..
The duration of time that I have my stock cooking for is anything from 6-8 hours on low heat.
As I will be using the stock for my recipes and not to drink, I usually don't go over 10 hours as this is going into bone broth territory which is not what we are making.
Ingredients you will need
- Lamb bones - any lamb bones will work, although I would recommend using bones that has already been used/leftover for convenience.
- Onion/garlic/carrots - These are three of the most common base ingredients that are used to build flavour in stock.
- Thyme/bay leaves - Earthy flavour.
- Black peppercorns - Gives a slight kick to the stock
- Apple cider vinegar - Helps to extract more minerals and collagen from the bones.
The steps
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
- Line a roasting pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Lay the bones out on the roasting pan along with the onion, garlic and carrots.
- Lightly coat the bones and vegetables with olive oil.
- Roast the bones and vegetables until they brown (keep an eye on the vegetables and remove any that browns too quickly), this should take 30-40 minutes.
- Once the bones have browned, remove from the oven.
- Place the bones, onion, garlic, carrots, apple cider vinegar, thyme, black peppercorns, bay leaves and the water in the slow cooker.
- Place the lid on the the slow cooker and slow cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (keep an eye on the water levels, it should be around 10 cups when finished so add more water if needed.
- After the given time, remove the lid and use a fine mesh sieve and slotted spoon to remove the vegetables and bones from the stock (you can drain it too to make sure no bits are left in the stock).
- Allow to completely cool before transferring to mason jars.
Notes and tips
- Don't throw away any leftover bones! Save them by placing them in a freezer friendly bag/container until you are ready to use them.
- Feel free to add some celery, parsley, leeks, rosemary etc...
- The best bones to use are the neck, ribs, leg and shank.
- It's okay to add some trimming/meaty parts, just make sure the meat isn't heavily seasoned/coated or this may impact the overall flavour of your stock.
- Slow cook your stock for up to 8 hours if you plan on using it for recipes, several hours is enough time for the right texture/taste.
- Allow the stock to be completely cold before placing in mason jars and refrigerating (for up to 3 days).
- If you don't plan to use it straight away, store in a freezer friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- The bones won't need boiling first if they are have been used/cooked already.
- Raw/uncooked bones should be washed thoroughly and par-boiled and dried before roasting them as this will prevent the stock from being cloudy and limit any after taste.
More stock/broth recipes to try
Recipes to use stock in
- Lamb Fried Rice (Caribbean Style)
- Lamb Chilli Con Carne (Slow Cooker)
- Slow Cooker Lamb Stew (Gluten free, Low Carb)
- Lamb leg steaks with caramelized onions
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How to Make Lamb Stock
Ingredients
- 1-1½ lb lamb bones
- 2 medium onions halved
- 4-6 whole garlic cloves
- 2 large carrots sliced and halved
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 6 sprigs of thyme
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 10-12 cups water
- olive oil for roasting
- pink salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
- Line a roasting pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Lay the bones out on the roasting pan along with the onion, garlic and carrots.
- Lightly coat the bones and vegetables with olive oil.
- Roast the bones and vegetables until they brown (keep an eye on the vegetables and remove any that browns too quickly), this should take 30-40 minutes.
- Once the bones have browned, remove from the oven.
- Place the bones, onion, garlic, carrots, apple cider vinegar, thyme, black peppercorns, bay leaves and the water in the slow cooker.
- Place the lid on the the slow cooker and slow cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (keep an eye on the water levels, it should be around 10 cups when finished so add more water if needed.
- After the given time, remove the lid and use a fine mesh sieve and slotted spoon to remove the vegetables and bones from the stock (you can drain it too to make sure no bits are left in the stock).
- Allow to completely cool before transferring to mason jars.
Notes
- Don't throw away any leftover bones! Save them by placing them in a freezer friendly bag/container until you are ready to use them.
- Feel free to add some celery, parsley, leeks, rosemary etc...
- The best bones to use are the neck, ribs, leg and shank.
- It's okay to add some trimming/meaty parts, just make sure the meat isn't heavily seasoned/coated or this may impact the overall flavour of your stock.
- Slow cook your stock for up to 8 hours if you plan on using it for recipes, several hours is enough time for the right texture/taste.
- Allow the stock to be completely cold before placing in mason jars and refrigerating (for up to 3 days).
- If you don't plan to use it straight away, store in a freezer friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- The bones won't need boiling first if they are have been used/cooked already.
- Raw/uncooked bones should be washed thoroughly and par-boiled and dried before roasting them as this will prevent the stock from being cloudy and limit any after taste.
Nutrition
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