Homemade stock (or bone broth) is something every wild game cook should have in their arsenal. It's a great way to use up a part of the animal that might otherwise get thrown away. There are tons of recipes out there varying in methods and many "do's and don'ts" to follow. But guess what? You can do your own thing and it will still be delicious! I prefer a richer, fuller body stock for my recipes. While that is not everyone's preference, it works great for me. If you're looking for a delicious base for wild game soups, gravies, roasts, etc. this is your ticket!
Jump to:
- What bones should I use for bone broth?
- What should you put in wild game stock?
- Why do you roast bones for stock?
- Why do you put apple cider vinegar in bone broth?
- What do you do with fat from stock?
- How do you store wild game stock?
- How to make stock:
- What do you make with wild game stock?
- Rich Wild Game Stock
What bones should I use for bone broth?
Many experts will tell you not to use marrow bones (long bones) for stock because they add fat and don't contribute collagen (which turns to gelatin). But if you butcher your own game animals, you can decide what to leave on the bones. If you leave all the connective tissue on the joints and a small amount of meat attached to the bones, long bones make a great base for stock. I also like to saw the knuckles off the tops of the shanks to save for stock because they are full of connective tissue. Neck bones are also a popular choice for wild game stock.
Unless you have a huge stockpot (I use a 12 qt pot similar to this one), you'll need to saw the bones to help them fit into your pot. I like to use this Wyoming Saw because it's very sharp and sturdy. It cut through these bones in no time! Sawing the bones exposes the marrow which is rich in fat. Allowing fat to emulsify in the stock while it cooks will lead to a cloudy stock but I believe the flavor is more important than the appearance. The fat that emulsifies in the stock adds to the silky, rich mouthfeel. Some of the fat will also separate and rise to the top which you can remove or leave depending on what you're using your stock for.
What should you put in wild game stock?
The majority of what you put in a bone broth should be bones (no surprise there) but to add layers of flavor, you'll need a few other ingredients as well. Vegetables, herbs, and spices are a very important part of making stock. Common vegetables are carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. But you can use other vegetable scraps too if you have them! Mushroom stems are a great flavor booster. Other vegetable scraps from leeks, fennel, tomatoes, etc. are great for stock too. You should avoid using cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc. because their sulfur content can add an off flavor and bitterness to your stock.
If you're going to add herbs (like parsley and bay leaves) and spices, wait until the last few hours to add them. Waiting to add herbs and spices gives the stock a flavor boost at the end and helps prevent bitterness from cooking them too long.
Once your stock is done cooking, don't throw out the vegetables and meat! They're likely past a good texture for people to eat but they don't have to be thrown away. If you have chickens or know someone who does, they make great chicken treats. You can either use them fresh or freeze them on a parchment paper lined sheet pan for later use. Once they're frozen, break them up into smaller pieces and store them in a freezer zippered bag. If you don't have chickens to give them to, you can also compost the scraps instead.
Why do you roast bones for stock?
Roasting bones adds a deep, caramelized flavor to the stock. Adding tomato paste to the bones before roasting adds another layer of caramelization and also adds some acidity to the broth. Roasting the bones also jumpstarts the process of converting the collagen in the joints to gelatin which leads to that desirable jiggly stock.
Why do you put apple cider vinegar in bone broth?
Acid is a very important ingredient in stock if you're looking for the silky, gelatinous texture when cooled. There are plenty of recipes out there that will tell you all about the nutrition benefits of having gelatin in your stock (which is fine) but the main reason I like gelatin in stock is that it gives it a lovely smooth mouthfeel. Heat is essential for turning the collagen in connective tissue into gelatin and you can achieve jiggly stock without vinegar. But, the acid in vinegar helps speed up the process. A little acidity is also helpful to cut the rich flavor a bit.
What do you do with fat from stock?
Many recipes will lead you to believe having fat in stock is a bad thing. But depending on your preference, you may find that you like a little fat in the recipes you're using stock for. You can skim it off the top if you'd like. But if you plan to freeze your stock, the layer of fat creates a nice barrier between the stock and the freezer and helps prevent freezer burn. Fat from stock is also great for cooking. If I'm making a soup with meat in it, I'll use the fat from the stock to cook the meat. It helps reduce waste and adds great flavor to the meat. Next time you see that layer of fat on top of your stock, embrace it! Give it a try and you might be pleasantly surprised.
How do you store wild game stock?
Many people have success pressure canning stock but I prefer to freeze mine to avoid food safety concerns. You can still use glass jars but it's helpful to use the storage lids instead of regular canning lids to avoid rusting from cleaning and reusing the canning lids. Before you freeze your stock, do not skim the fat off the top. It makes a great barrier between the stock and the air in your freezer and preserves freshness. It's also great for cooking! Once you're ready to use it, pop a jar (or a few) in the fridge. Let it thaw overnight and you'll be well on your way to a flavorful meal!
How to make stock:
We've gotten this far without actually going over how to make the stock. The process is fairly simple and mostly hands off.
- Step 1: Saw bones and roast with tomato paste in a very hot oven.
- Step 2: Place bones in stock pot with vegetables and cover with water.
- Step 3: Bring water to a boil and immediately turn heat down to a low simmer. Turn the heat down as low as it will go while still staying on a very low simmer.
- Step 4: Cover and simmer for a looooong time. At least 12 hours but preferably 24.
- Step 5: Strain stock. Remove the large pieces with tongs and set aside (for chickens, compost, etc.). Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth. Strain hot stock into another pot or large bowl. Rinse cheesecloth if it gets too gunked up.
- Step 6: Cool and store. You can pressure can it or store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Step 7: Cook and enjoy!
What do you make with wild game stock?
The possibilities are endless for using your homemade wild game stock. The obvious (and great) choice is to use it for soups. But you can also use it for gravies, roasts, and pretty much anything savory that calls for water that you'd like to add some extra flavor to. See below for a few of my favorites!
See more recipes that use stock →
Rich Wild Game Stock
Equipment
- 12 qt stock pot
- bone saw
- cheesecloth
- 9 pint jars (could be more or less)
- jar funnel
Ingredients
- 5 lb wild game bones (long bones with meat and connective tissue attached, neck bones, knuckle bones, etc.)
- 2 lb carrots
- 1 bunch celery
- 2 yellow onions, quartered
- 10 cloves garlic, smashed
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 quarts water
- ½ bunch Italian parsley
- 6 oz tomato paste (1 small can)
- 6 bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Cut long bones in half with a bone saw to expose marrow. This step is optional but will add fat to your stock and helps larger bones fit in the pot.
- Cover bones in tomato paste and place on sheet pan. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until browned but not burned.
- Add bones to stock pot. Scrape any drippings off the parchment paper into the stock pot.
- Wash carrots and celery. Cut off any dirty parts (tops and bottoms) and cut in half so that they fit better in the stock pot.
- Add carrots, celery, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, vinegar, and water to the stock pot. Fill stock pot completely with water. This may be more or less than 8 quarts in a 12 quart pot. You'll want to cover all the ingredients with a few inches of water. The amount of liquid will be reduced by the time the stock is done.
- Slowly bring the pot to a boil. Once it starts boiling, immediately turn it down as low as you can while keeping it at a very low simmer. Simmer uncovered for 20-24 hours.
- Remove all bones and vegetables. Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place over a large bowl or pot. Ladle stock over cheesecloth. Once stock stops moving quickly through the cheesecloth, remove it and rinse it out. Place cheesecloth back in strainer and continue process until all stock has been strained.
- Place jar funnel on top of jar and ladle stock into jar. Only fill to the bottom rim to allow room for expansion.
- Place jars in the fridge to cool then freeze for up to 6 months. If you prefer to pressure can your stock, follow instructions for your pressure canner.
- Note: If you have chickens or know someone that does, stock scraps make great chicken treats. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Remove all meat, connective tissue, and marrow from bones. Place meat scraps and vegetables in a single layer on sheet pan. Freeze until solid. Remove from freezer and break apart into smaller pieces and place in a freezer zippered bag. Freeze until ready to use. Pieces can be given to the chickens frozen or thawed.
Nutrition
Jump to:
- What bones should I use for bone broth?
- What should you put in wild game stock?
- Why do you roast bones for stock?
- Why do you put apple cider vinegar in bone broth?
- What do you do with fat from stock?
- How do you store wild game stock?
- How to make stock:
- What do you make with wild game stock?
- Rich Wild Game Stock
Ed Kures says
Many game management people recommend deboning wild game and not using bones due to CWD. What are your thoughts in relation to bone broth?
Annie says
I think it depends a lot on where you live. We're lucky enough to have low prevalence of CWD in most areas in Wyoming (for now anyways). My understanding is that CWD prions are more prevalent in bone than in muscle tissue but if an animal has CWD, it is likely present in all tissues. So if the animal is CWD positive, you are taking a risk by consuming any part of the animal. If the test comes back negative, I don't see any issues with making bone broth. But there could be other reasons not to that I'm not aware of.