Easy Venison Stock Recipe
Venison stock makes a base for so many of my dishes and I much prefer it over store bought stock. I also like that it’s low sodium and I get to utilize most parts of the deer.
Ingredients
The ingredient list for this recipe is quite short. We let the bones do most of the heavy lifting here. The idea is to create a base, so you need to keep it simple and adaptable.
The bones will be the majority of this dish. When butchering I like to leave some excess meat on the bones I will use for stock.
All bones will work for this recipe, I mostly use shoulder and knuckle bones. I’ve also made stock from venison shank also.
I don’t use much vegetables when making stock, generally I will use carrots for sweetness, celery for a peppery taste and onions for aromatics.
For herbs I use fresh parsley, and either fresh or dried thyme.
Related >> Venison taco recipe
Vinegar may appear out of place here but the purpose of the vinegar is to extract the flavor from the bones.
Another ingredient that is not typical of stock is tomato puree, but I find it really adds to the flavor of the stock, but this is optional.
Cooking
Cooking this stock couldn’t be simpler but it does take a long time. I like to start it before bed and wake up to a finished stock in the morning.
This can also be made in the slow cooker.
The first step is to brown the bones as this is what gives the stock the richness.
Once the bones are browned, they go into the pot. The water should cover the bones for as long as possible, keep in mind you will be reducing the liquid by at least fifty percent.
Related >> Slow cooker venison recipe
It’s ok to add extra water so long as you reduce it at the end. The ingredients in this recipe will make about 1.5 -1.75 liters of stock.
Bring the water to a simmer this will bring any excess fat and scum to the top for you to skim off. Reduce the heat to low and add in all the other ingredients.
If you have excess liquid after eight hours, remove all the ingredients and reduce to 1.5 -1.75 liters
Easy Venison Stock
Ingredients
- 5 lbs venison bones see note 1
- 1 medium onion yellow or white (halved)
- 2 sticks of celery cut into 3 or 4 pieces each
- 1 large carrot unpeeled, cut into 3 or 4 pieces
- 2 teaspoons tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 7-10 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries
- 2 bay laves
- 2 teaspoons high-temp oil avocado, grapeseed
- 3-6 liters cold water see note 2
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450F
- Liberally rub oil on the venison bones
- Place the bones in the oven on baking tray or in pot and cook until well browned (approx 1 hour)
- Transfer the bones to the stovetop and pour over the cold water
- Bring the water to a simmer then reduce
- Skim any excess fat or scum from the top
- Add all other ingredients cook on low for 8 hours
- After 8 hours remove all ingredients and reduce stock to 1.5-1.75 liters
Video
Notes
- When butchering the venison I leave a little excess meat on the bones for stock. I like to use shoulder blades and knuckle bones.
- The minimum quantity of water you will need is 3 liters, but if this isn't enough to cover the bones you can use more. Sometimes I will use six, but reduce it dowwn to 1.5 liters.
