By Hank Shaw

A venison preparation tip from Hank Shaw, author of the award-winning food blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

Save those bones! Venison makes excellent stock. More important, you’ll use more of the animal, and you’ll elevate your cooking when you prepare rice or soup with homemade stock. Follow these tips for great stock:

1. Use leg bones, as they often have stray bits of meat on them. Adding meat makes a richer stock. Even better, toss in a venison shank.

2. Never let the stock boil. Bring it to a bare simmer only. Boiling will cloud your stock and can make it bitter.

3. Simmer meat for at least 3 hours before adding vegetables. Meat and bones take longer to give up their flavor, while vegetables need just 1 to 2 hours.

4. Strain your stock with a fine-mesh strainer or, better yet, one lined with cheesecloth.

5. Only add salt after you’ve strained the stock. Adding it too soon can result in a stock that’s too salty at the end.

Comments (4)

from Walt Smith wrote 2 years 8 weeks ago

What don't you understand about the difference between tallow (deer fat) and beef fat or pig fat??

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from BeardogRed wrote 2 years 8 weeks ago

I really liked the idea of using all the animal. Thanks for the reminder. I can be making stock while eating a backstrap!

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from stjohn30 wrote 2 years 7 weeks ago

Hank, this is a great post! I plan to share it with my dad who "sacrifices" venison bones each season principally because he and mom don't know what to do with them. Venison stock seems so obvious and I can't think of anything that would enrich stews and soups like a hearty venison broth.

Cheers,
Steve
yourfoodchoices.wordpress.com

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from Michael Swan II wrote 1 year 44 weeks ago

I haven't been saving the bones or leaving them in roasts as I was under the impression that there were concerns about CWD. I did a quick search and sounds like as long as there no "nerve" tissue, shouldn't be a problem. Bones are back on the menu!

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from BeardogRed wrote 2 years 8 weeks ago

I really liked the idea of using all the animal. Thanks for the reminder. I can be making stock while eating a backstrap!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Walt Smith wrote 2 years 8 weeks ago

What don't you understand about the difference between tallow (deer fat) and beef fat or pig fat??

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from stjohn30 wrote 2 years 7 weeks ago

Hank, this is a great post! I plan to share it with my dad who "sacrifices" venison bones each season principally because he and mom don't know what to do with them. Venison stock seems so obvious and I can't think of anything that would enrich stews and soups like a hearty venison broth.

Cheers,
Steve
yourfoodchoices.wordpress.com

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Michael Swan II wrote 1 year 44 weeks ago

I haven't been saving the bones or leaving them in roasts as I was under the impression that there were concerns about CWD. I did a quick search and sounds like as long as there no "nerve" tissue, shouldn't be a problem. Bones are back on the menu!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.