Venison Stock Recipe - How to Make Venison Stock or Broth (2024)

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4.87 from 52 votes

By Hank Shaw

February 20, 2008 | Updated June 12, 2020

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Venison Stock Recipe - How to Make Venison Stock or Broth (2)

Making stocks and broths are among the core skills of any good cook, and it is a labor or love I embrace wholly. As a hunter, angler and a gardener, I can often make a first-class stock solely with ingredients I’ve grown, caught or shot. This to me is deeply satisfying. Venison stock is one of my mainstays throughout the year.

While some will make a stock without vegetables, I am not among them. They add so much to the final flavor of a stock and can transform it from an additive into a full-fledged broth suitable for drinking on cold days. Incidentally, while I use stock and broth interchangeably, technically a stock is a base and a broth something you can serve on its own; generally a broth is more flavorful and better seasoned than a stock.

Other than the venison, my essentials are: Onions or leeks, carrots, celery, bay leaves, parsley. I will add other herbs as appropriate, most often rosemaryand thyme, and sometimes juniper berries. Secret weapon for venison stock: parsnips. Their sweetness brings a lot to the party.

First step is roasting the bones. I like darker, fuller stocks and this is what does it.I roast my deer bones at 400°F for an hour or so, until they are yummy-looking. Incidentally, meat makes better broth, so add some if you can. Secret trick: Save all the gnarly, sinewy bits and trim not even fit for the grinder and roast them along with the bones; don’t include bloodshot meat, though.

Venison Stock Recipe - How to Make Venison Stock or Broth (3)

Next cram your bones and trim into the stockpot and cover with cold water by several inches.Cold water will you produce more collagen, and it’s collagen from the joints and cartilage and skin that builds body in your stock by making it thicker than water. You only get this by letting the water heat gradually. Secret trick: Go to the butcher and buy a calf’s or pig’s foot and add it to the pot (don’t roast it, though). It will add a huge amount of body to your broth.

Bring the brothto a boiland skim off any scum that floats to the surface. After the surface is clear, reduce the heat to a bare simmer. You want it to shimmy, not roil, not even bubble too much. A boiled stock will turn cloudy, and the higher temps can extract bitter flavors from the bones. Let it do this for several hours. How long? Up to overnight.

Venison Stock Recipe - How to Make Venison Stock or Broth (4)

After the meat has infused the water to your liking — 4 hours is a minimum for me — add your veggies, roughly chopped. Remember that old, crappy veggies will not improve by cooking them. That said, the ends of things make great stock, as do onion skins, which will help turn a broth a lovely brown. Stir in your nice vegetables and let it cook for another 90 minutes to 2 hours. No more.

After this, strain everything out. Grab all the big stuff with tongs first, then seta paper towel into a fine mesh sieve. Ladle your venison stock through this into a large bowl or plastic bin. Is all of this necessary? Yes. Unless you want a mucky, cloudy stock. And it is more than aesthetics: The impurities are just that – impure, and add off-flavors to your otherwise wonderful brew.

Once your stock is strained, clean the stockpot or pour the strained liquid into another one. Now you can reduce it if you want to.

This is also the time you can salt the stock. Stock gets saltier the longer you cook it down because salt does not evaporate with the water. So add it close to the end and you will know what you’re getting. If you’re doing demi-glace, don’t salt at all.

All of this takes time, but not a lot of it is active. And the process is comforting to me, as much so as the reward.

4.87 from 52 votes

Venison Broth

This is a rich venison broth that can stand alone as a broth for pasta or, if you clarify it later, as a consomme. It’s stronger in flavor than stock, so if you use it as a base for stews or soups, remember that — and label your jars accordingly. Making a good stock or broth is an all-day deal. Don’t take shortcuts, or your broth will suffer. Relax and let things happen as they will.

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: 16 servings

Author: Hank Shaw

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds venison bones, with some meat on them
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt
  • 1 tablespoon crushed juniper berries (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 large carrots chopped
  • 2 celery sticks chopped
  • About 1/2 of a bunch of parsley chopped

Instructions

  • Coat the bones with olive oil and salt well, then roast in a 400°F oven until brown. If you can stand it, keep some meat on the bones — trim and shanks are ideal for this. It will make a better broth. Put the bones in a large stockpot. I saw the bones into large pieces with a hacksaw; this lets me fit more bones into the pot, again, making a richer broth. Cover with water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

  • Skim the froth that forms on the surface and simmer very gently for at least 4 hours; I let it go overnight. You want the broth to steam and burble a little, not roil.

  • Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for another 2 hours.

  • Using tongs, grab out all the bones and large bits and discard. Set a paper towel in a fine-mesh sieve that is itself set over another large pot. Ladle the venison broth through the cheesecloth-lined sieve. Discard the dregs in the broth pot, with will be loaded with sediment and other bits.

  • Add salt to taste to the clarified broth and pour into quart jars and freeze (or pressure-can — you cannot can broth in boiling water). If you freeze, leave about 2 inches of space at the top of the jar or the jars will crack when the broth freezes. Use within a year.

Notes

This recipe makes about 1 gallon.

Once you have your fresh broth, try making this easy recipe for German dumplings in broth; I do it all the time with either duck or venison broth.

Nutrition

Calories: 41kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1295IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

Categorized as:
How-To (DIY stuff), Recipe, Venison, Wild Game

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Read More About Me

Venison Stock Recipe - How to Make Venison Stock or Broth (2024)

FAQs

What is the best stock to use with venison? ›

Stock or broth: Beef broth or venison stock is often used as the cooking liquid. It adds richness and enhances the overall flavor of the stew. Red wine: Red wine, such as a dry red like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, is often used to deglaze the pan and provide acidity and richness to the stew.

Is venison broth good? ›

The low and slow cooking process has been used for centuries to extract vital nutrients from animal bones. Venison bones are rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and many other trace minerals, all of which are needed to build and strengthen your bones.

What is the ratio of meat to water in stock? ›

That minimum ratio—a pound of chicken per quart of water—was sufficient to extract enough gelatin from the wings to give me the loosely gelled stock above. If you can pack in even more chicken and aromatics, your stock will only get richer and more gelatinous.

What is the difference between stock and broth? ›

Stock is generally made from bones, and broth is generally made from flesh. In both cases, they are often supported with aromatic vegetables, but in the case of stock, left unseasoned for maximum flexibility in recipes, whereas broth will usually contain at least salt and pepper.

What spices taste good with venison? ›

Ideal flavours for venison
  • Fruits: quince, cherries, prunes, blackberries, apples.
  • Herbs: thyme, rosemary, bay, sage.
  • Spices: star anise, allspice, black pepper, cloves, juniper.
  • Alcohol: red wine (e.g. Grenache, Zinfandel), cider, ale. Other: chestnuts, celeriac, red cabbage, chocolate, mushroom.
Mar 7, 2016

What do you mix with venison? ›

Beef fat works well with ground venison, and makes the flavor closer to ground beef. Pork fat is lower in saturated fat, has less flavor and will allow the venison flavor to shine.

Which animal bone broth is best? ›

Chicken has more ascetic benefits while beef is better for gut health and mood.
  • Beef bone broth is better for gut health.
  • Chicken bone broth is better for joint and tendon pain.
  • Beef for sleep, relaxation and mood boosting.
  • Chicken may be better for skin health.
  • Chicken tastes lighter, beef bone broth is more bold.

How do you store venison bone broth? ›

After I strain the bones out of my stock using a giant strainer, I let the pot cool to room temperature. Then, I ladle as much as I think can be used for cooking/drinking purposes over the course of 4 or 5 days, and I store that amount in an airtight storage container in the fridge.

How long does venison stock last in the fridge? ›

How to store venison stock. For storing your beautiful venison stock, you can store it in the fridge (I like to use quart-sized glass jars) for about a week. It also freezes beautifully. It lasts about 12 months (6 months for max flavor), but I've used some past 12 months without issue.

How much water to make broth? ›

The last ingredient is water. A good rule of thumb is that for each pound to pound-and-a-half of chicken, you'll need one quart of water, or enough to just barely cover everything. Any more than that and you'll have a watery chicken stock or need to simmer it for much longer to get it flavorful enough.

What are the six steps to preparing a stock? ›

How to Make Stock or Broth
  1. Step 1: Meat Trimmings. Butcher a chicken to obtain bone and meat remains. ...
  2. Step 2: Cover in Water. Cover the meat and bones in cold water. ...
  3. Step 3: Heat the Water. ...
  4. Step 4: Skim. ...
  5. Step 5: Simmer. ...
  6. Step 6: Cut Vegetables. ...
  7. Step 7: Add Vegetables and Herbs. ...
  8. Step 8: Simmer Down.

How much water should I put in stock? ›

Add the vegetables to a large pot with the salt, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Add 10-12 cups of water and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Finally, strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer to remove the vegetables and peppercorns.

What not to do when making stock? ›

Share
  1. MISTAKE #1: TOO HOT IN HERE. A rich, full-bodied broth comes from the conversion of connective tissue (mainly collagen) into gelatin through the application of heat in the presence of moisture. ...
  2. MISTAKE #2: ALL INGREDIENTS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL. When it comes to cooking time at least. ...
  3. MISTAKE #3: FORGETTING TO FINISH.

Which is healthier broth or stock? ›

And the Winner Is..

Stock! Whether homemade or store-bought it has more protein and usually less sodium per serving as compared to broth. Plus, the flavor is just better which means you'll start with something tastier and will hopefully use less salt to taste at the end.

How to make stock from scratch? ›

To make homemade chicken stock, place chicken bones, vegetables, herbs and spices into a large pot. Cover with cold water then simmer for about 3 hours. Let it cool, then skim the fat. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

What pairs well with venison? ›

Step into any restaurant featuring a la chasse-themed menu, and you can expect to find classic pairings such as venison with cranberries, apples, celeriac, butternut squash, brussels sprouts or Belgium endive.

What is the best soak for deer meat? ›

Soaking: The most common soaking liquids are buttermilk, saltwater, white milk, vinegar, lemon juice and lime juice. While some hunters swear by certain soaking methods to take the “gamey” flavor away or bleed the meat after processing, others don't find it all that helpful.

What liquid should I tenderize deer meat? ›

Marinades are one of my favorite ways to tenderize venison. For an excellent marinade, you will need an acid (wine, vinegar, lemon juice, or lime), an oil (I prefer olive oil), and herbs and spices of your choice.

How to remove gamey taste from venison? ›

The distinct game flavor of either birds or animals will be milder after soaking the meat overnight in the refrigerator in either a salt or vinegar solution. 2. Vinegar solution - 1 cup per quart of cold water. Use enough solution to cover the game completely.

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