What is the most elegant way of striping AOSP of its pre-installed packages?

Question

I am trying to gradually stripe AOSP out of its default apps. But I wonder if the method I am going to apply is correct and is the most effective.

After looking through ways of doing that I have come to the following method:(example app - "package_name")

1. Pick particular app and find out its "LOCAL_PACKAGE_NAME"
2. Use "envsetup.sh" provided command "mgrep package_name"
3. Look at the output to determine where package_name is mentioned
4. Remove lines of code containing package_name from makefiles

I have also stumbled upon this solution:

Instead of modifying bunch of .mk files in AOSP in many folders, you can add a new module, a stub, and disable modules in its Android.mk using LOCAL_OVERRIDES_PACKAGES. If a module still appear in target, you'll probably need to add to LOCAL_OVERRIDES_PACKAGES another modules which added undesired packages via LOCAL_REQUIRED_MODULES.

But sadly I am not aware yet how one builds a new "module, a stub" so I can't apply this method as of now.

Are there any steps I can take to make sure a particular app is removed from my build completely without harming anything. What do you think is the most elegant solution to this specific task if there is one? What(literature/docs/website)would be useful for me to get familiar with making "scratch-surface" changes to AOSP code like the abovementioned case?

If that matters what I am trying to remove at the moment: Calculator; Calendar; Camera; Clock; Contacts; Files; Gallery; Messaging; Music; Phone; Search; WebView

Thanks in advance for your responses!