Making stock involves simmering animal bones, meat, chicken, or vegetables in water or wine, often for an extended period. Traditionally, stock is made by simmering various ingredients in water. A newer approach is to use a pressure cooker. The flavor of the stock comes from the bone marrow, cartilage and other connective tissue.

Meat: Cooked meat still attached to bones is also used as an ingredient, especially with chicken stock. Meat cuts with a large amount of connective tissue, such as shoulder cuts, are also used. Mirepoix: Mirepoix is a combination of onions, carrots, celery, and sometimes other vegetables added to flavor the stock. Herbs and spices: The herbs and spices used depend on availability and local traditions.

Basic stocks are usually named for the primary meat type. Dashi is a fish stock in Japanese cooking made by briefly cooking fish flakes called katsuobushi with kelp in nearly boiling water. Myeolchi yuksu is a stock in Korean cooking made by briefly cooking dried anchovies with kelp in nearly boiling water. Glace de viande is stock, usually made from veal, that is highly concentrated by reduction. Ham stock, common in Cajun cooking, is made from ham hocks. Master stock is a Chinese stock used primarily for poaching meats, flavored with soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, and other aromatics.

Prawn stock is made from boiling prawn shells. It is used in Southeast Asian dishes such as laksa. Remouillage is a second stock made from the same set of bones. Bran stock is bran boiled in water.