On the Spot Stock

The following technique is like making stock in a dish as it cooks, so it works best with a braise like stew, pot roast, and brisket — or long-cooking soups like minestrone, split pea, and mushroom-barley. I like to enrich the cooking liquid by adding meaty bones or a pound or more of chicken wings (roasted or not). They add a gelatinous quality and fuller flavor to the final gravy. Ideally, use beef or lamb neck bones or a ham bone for the appropriate recipe; the wings actually work for everything I’ve made so far. When the dish is done, pull them out and finish off the recipe (the wings especially will make extra fat to skim).