Meat Stock
 
 
Like other cuisines, a good stock forms the basis of delicious meals. I tend to cook a large batch of meat and stockfish and then freeze in meal-size portions together with the cooking liquor. This makes whipping up a speedy soup on impulse really easy. Use any combination of meat that you fancy. Nigerians are not afraid to mix various meats and indeed together in the same dish. I add stockfish and crayfish in with the meat as the fishy flavour permeates the meat, making it extra delicious.
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Ingredients
  • 1kg oxtail
  • 1kg stewing beef
  • 1kg boiling chicken
  • 2L water
  • 500g - 1kg stockfish (washed and soaked overnight, or for several hours)
  • 2 tablespoons crayfish, finely ground
  • *3 onions, about 400g (peeled and quartered, optional)
  • *200g tomatoes (optional)
  • 1 -2 Scotch bonnet chillies, about 16g
  • 1 - 2 teaspoons Cameroon pepper (optional)
Instructions
  1. Wash and prepare the meat, trimming off any excess fat.
  2. Liquidise the onions, crayfish, chilli, stock cubes and tomatoes and Cameroon pepper (if using) with a small amount of water.
  3. Place the meat in a large saucepan, layering them according to how quickly they cook: oxtail, stockfish, stewing beef, then chicken (in this case), pouring some of the liquidised mixture over each layer. Note that stockfish becomes gelatinous as it cooks and may ‘catch’ the bottom of the pot which is why I prefer to place it on top of the oxtail.
  4. Add the water, and bring to a fast boil for about 10 minutes. Turn down the heat and simmer for about an hour or so, until the meat and stockfish is tender but not too soft.
  5. Once it has cooled down, remove the bones and skin from the stockfish. These may be boiled up with onions and chilli to make stockfish stock, or discarded.
  6. Divide the meat, stockfish and stock into 3 - 4 containers, suitable for freezing.
Notes
*Tomatoes and onions are not traditionally used in many soups such as Edikang Ikong and Afang, Ora (Oha), Ogbono and Bitter Leaf, in which case the tomatoes and onions should be omitted.

Red bell peppers may be used as a substitute for tomatoes if you are not cooking these soups.

This will provide enough meat/stock for 3 - 4 pots of soup depending on how meaty you like your soups!
Recipe by The Executive Mama Put at http://www.executivemamaput.com/the-basics-of-nigerian-cooking/