How To Make Homemade Ham Stock

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Homemade ham stock is a hands-off project that repays you over and over again by way of rich broth to be used for so many delicious recipes.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3

Total Time3 15

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings, based on 1/2 cup portions

2 tablespoons bacon grease
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small leek white and light-green parts only, chopped; may substitute ramps or green onions
1 small onion rough chopped
2 stalks celery rough chopped
2 large carrots rough chopped
6 cloves garlic peeled, crushed
1 ham bone scraps attached
2 sprigs parsley
6 sprigs thyme
2 large bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns

Heat the bacon fat along with the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Cook leek, onion, celery, carrot, and garlic, stirring frequently, until tender and golden, about 10 minutes.
Add ham bone, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns and cover with water about 1" above top of bone.
Simmer, uncovered, until stock is flavorful and fragrant, about 3 hours. You will have about 1 quart of rich stock at this point, give or take.
Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl; discard the solids all but for the larger pieces of ham that have fallen from the bone. Depending on your plans for the stock, the ham can be diced and saved for a later soup or other dish at the very end, like a garnish. If you want to be really over the top, fry the ham bits in bacon fat and then garnish with them. Then...drop the mic...