Homemade Venison Gravy
A rich venison gravy made using two options. Either with homemade venison stock or by building a quick broth from neck, shank, or shoulder meat.
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless venison neck (neck, shank, or shoulder) cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and black pepper (as needed)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 4 cups reserved broth (or homemade venison stock)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp heavy cream (optional)
- chopped fresh herbs (optional for garnishing)
Instructions
- Season venison with salt and black pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil starts to lightly smoke, sear venison until browned. Remove and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add onion and celery. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook while stirring often for 1 minute.
- Pour in about 6 cups of water or stock to cover. Add bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer, covered, 2 to 3 hours or until the venison is tender. Strain and reserve the broth and meat. You should have about 4 cups of liquid remaining. Freeze any extra for later use. Discard the vegetables, bay leaf, and herbs.
- Add the venison to a bowl and shred it finely. Set aside.
Make the Roux
- Melt the butter in a clean pot or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook while stirring often until the color is a rich golden brown, between 5 and 8 minutes. Lower the heat if needed to prevent burning.
- Whisk in the warm broth slowly until smooth.
- Add shredded meat, season to taste with salt and pepper.
- For a more refined gravy, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary and thyme.
NOTES
Optional homemade stock: If using homemade venison stock, simmer the venison in it for a richer sauce. Or you skip this step completely.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze 3 months.
Reheating: Warm slowly on the stove, stirring to maintain texture.
Faster broth: Make it in about half the time with an Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Troubleshooting:
- 6 cups not enough water? If 6 cups is not enough water to cover the meat, you are probably using a big pot. You can add as much water as you need to cover the meat. However, this will weaken the broth. To remedy this, you can strain the broth after the meat is tender and continue to cook the broth uncovered until it has reduced down to around 4 to 6 cups.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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