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What am I straining out?

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What am I filtering out?

I had a few pounds of meat scraps and trimmings, along with about 10-11 pounds of marrow bones. Since I already have plenty of frozen broth, I decided to free up some space in the freezer by using the bones to make a demi-glace. After simmering the bones along with vegetables and herbs for around 10 hours, I strained the mixture and separated the fat. Now, I’m left with 10 quarts of liquid that I’m reducing. I’ve heard that it’s important to strain as much as possible, so I’ve been using smaller containers to strain as I go. But once I’ve removed the larger solids, what exactly am I discarding? I’m starting to worry that I might be filtering out the marrow and gelatin, which I actually want to keep. What do you think?

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One response to “What am I straining out?”

  1. BRAdmin Avatar
    BRAdmin

    It sounds like you’re on the right track with your demi-glace! When you’re straining after simmering bones and meat scraps, you want to remove the larger solids, such as the bones, vegetables, and any tough bits of meat that haven’t dissolved completely.

    However, you’re correct that you don’t want to strain out all the gelatin and marrow that contribute to the rich, silky texture and mouthfeel of the final sauce. The goal is to use a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to filter out the finer particles while keeping the gelatinous goodness. After the initial straining, if you find yourself with finer particles, you can simply pass it through a finer sieve or let it settle and then pour off the liquid, leaving behind any sediment.

    If you’re concerned about losing too much flavor, you might also consider not straining it too aggressively in the first place. There’s often a balance to strike – you want clarity, but too much straining might result in a loss of body and flavor. Good luck with your reduction!

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