Making a rich venison stock is one of the best ways to capture every ounce of flavor from your deer harvest. Whether you call it bone broth or stock, you’re building the essential base for venison gravy, stews, and soups. This slow process transforms bones into liquid gold that elevates almost any recipe using deer meat.
Check out my venison stew recipes page for ideas on how to use this deer stock.
Foundations of Making Deer Stock
When you break down a deer, those shank and femur bones often get overlooked. But they’re exactly what you need for a rich stock. So don’t ditch them. And if you have friends who don’t keep the bones from their harvests, ask them if you can have some. They freeze surprisingly well.
I first learned the fundamentals of stock making while working at Peninsula Grill in Charleston, South Carolina, where every sauce, soup, and reduction began with a properly built foundation. We used veal, chicken, and pork bones, but the same principles apply here. Roast the bones to develop flavor, keep your simmer low and steady, and never rush the process.
Venison Broth vs Venison Stock
You’ll see plenty of talk online about venison broth, venison stock, and venison bone broth. But in professional kitchens, they’re all part of the same family. The only real difference comes down to meat versus bones.
- Venison stock is made with bones, with the addition of vegetables and aromatics. Simmered slowly to extract maximum flavor.
- Venison broth includes meat. Usually from the shank, neck, or shoulder, in addition to the bones. It can be cooked for less time due to the addition of connective tissue, which comes from the meat. You’re getting a more flavorful product with extra body from the collagen. If you want to learn how to process shanks, check out my guide to venison shanks.
- And “bone broth”? That’s just a modern name for stock. The method is identical; the term caught on as a marketing phrase for long-simmered stock made from bones.
And if you’ve been wondering which one to make, start with stock. You can always turn it into broth by tossing in a little venison meat and pulling it out once tender. Which is exactly what I do for my venison gravy.
Key Tips for a Great Stock
- Roast your bones: A deep golden color equals deeper flavor. This is the same technique that I use for my duck stock for maximum flavor.
- Use connective cuts: Shank and femur are best, but shoulder and neck bones also work.
- Add silverskin trimmings: For a richer stock, add any silverskin trimmings that you’ve saved from backstraps and shanks. They will melt and enhance the flavor and texture of your stock.
- Don’t skip the aromatics: Onion, carrot, celery, and tomato give your broth its backbone.
- Keep the simmer low: Generally speaking, the slower the simmer, the less cloudy your stock will be.
- Strain, cool, and skim if needed: Once the stock starts to cool, you may notice a waxy looking film on the top of the stock. For a cleaner flavor, skim this off and discard.
How to Make Venison Stock
Follow this process whether you’re making venison stock, bone broth, or a meat-forward broth variation:
- Roast the bones at 375°F until dark golden brown, about 1 to 1½ hours.
- Combine the ingredients: roasted bones, vegetables, herbs, peppercorns, and tomato.
- Add cold water to cover.
- Simmer low and slow for 8–14 hours (or longer for a richer stock). Avoid a rolling boil for a clearer product.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard solids.
- Cool and store in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze up to 6 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few common questions I get about making venison stock and broth at home. Whether you’re saving bones from your deer harvest or just looking to build better flavor in your kitchen, these answers clear up the confusion around stock, broth, and that so-called “bone broth.”
Preferably shank and femur bones.
While you don’t need to roast the bones. Roasting does add quite a but of flavor.
Simmer 8–14 hours. Eight hours produces a clean, mild stock, while fourteen hours yields a richer, gelatinous texture with concentrated flavor.
Broth includes meat along with bones and typically cooks for less time. While stock relies only on bones and connective tissue for body. “Bone broth” is simply another name for stock.
More Venison Recipes
Below are some of my favorite venison recipes using this stock.
If you make this venison stock recipe, leave a review if you get a chance. And if you have any cooking questions or want to share your latest venison dishes, give me a shout on Instagram @larry__white.
Venison Stock
Ingredients
- 8 venison bones (from shank or femur)
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 3 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 2 celery stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 tsp black peppercorns
- 14.5 ounces canned tomatoes (diced or crushed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange bones in a single layer on a baking pan.
- Roast until deep golden brown, 1–1½ hours. Cool slightly.
- Add bones, vegetables, herbs, peppercorns, and tomato to a large pot or slow cooker. Add cold water to cover.
- Simmer uncovered on low heat for 8–14 hours. If you're using a slow cooker, partially cover with the lid.
- Strain through a fine sieve and discard solids. Let cool to room temperature.
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.
