This homemade Veal Stock recipe gives you a deeply flavorful, collagen-rich base for sauces, soups, stews, and braised beef dishes. Once you taste it, you won’t want to go back to store-bought.
Whether it’s this veal stock or a classic like chicken stock, a flavorful fish stock, or a simple vegetable stock, making them from scratch takes time, but it’s always worth it. I’ve made plenty of quick fixes in the past, but nothing compares to the depth you get from doing it yourself. It adds gourmet excellence to your favorite dishes.
Veal Stock
Did you know you can make homemade stock with veal bones, like regular beef stock? I’ve found that veal bones are rich in collagen and create a more refined, gelatinous texture as they break down during a slow simmer. The result is a rich and velvety stock with deep, savory flavors that only a true veal bone broth can deliver.
My veal stock recipe only takes about 10 minutes of prep before it simmers gently for several hours. It yields around 2 and a half gallons, which is perfect for freezing or using in all kinds of meals.
I use it in sauces, soups, and braises, and the flavor always stands out. I know it might seem intimidating, but trust me, with my step-by-step instructions, you’ll end up with the best broth ever, and you’ll find yourself using it all the time to elevate your meals.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Veal bones – These can be any veal bones, including knuckles, neck, oxtails, or marrow bones. Most butcher shops, especially those specializing in high-quality meats, will carry veal bones.
- Vegetables – Slow-roasted yellow onions, garlic, celery, and carrots lend an aromatic foundation to the stock. Other mirepoix vegetables you can use are leeks, celeriac root, parsnips, mushrooms, or leftover frozen vegetable scraps.
- Tomato paste – It intensifies the umami flavors of the stock and adds a subtle sweetness.
- Wine – Use a dry red wine you enjoy drinking, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Shiraz. If you prefer not to use alcohol, substitute the wine with high-quality balsamic vinegar. It will provide a similar acidity and richness without the alcohol content.
- Herbs – I used a combination of thyme sprigs and parsley stems to season the stock. You can also use fresh sprigs of oregano, rosemary, or a few bay leaves.
- Spices – Whole peppercorns are also used to season the stock.
How to Make Homemade Veal Stock
Roast the bones: I divide the veal bones between two large roasting pans. I place one on the middle rack and the other on the bottom rack of the oven. Then, I roast them at 450°F for 1 hour and 20 minutes, making sure to rotate the pans halfway through.
Transfer the bones: Once the bones are done roasting, I carefully move them into an extra-large stock pot. I make sure to get every bit since all that roasted flavor is going to build the base of the stock.
Add water and simmer: I pour in about 3 gallons of cold water, making sure the bones are covered by at least 2 inches. Then, I set the pot over low to medium heat and let it slowly come to a gentle simmer.
Render the fat: While the stock starts to simmer, I drain the fat from one roasting pan into the other. Then, I place that pan across one or two burners and heat it over medium to get it ready for the next step.
Cook the vegetables: I add the vegetables to the pan with the fat and sauté them for about 25 to 30 minutes until they’re nicely caramelized. Then, I stir in the tomato paste and let it cook until it turns a deep rust color and starts to stick to the pan.
Add vegetables to the pot: I take the caramelized vegetable mixture from the pan and transfer it straight into the stock pot with the bones.
Deglaze with wine: I pour 1 and a half cups of red wine into the roasting pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the flavorful bits stuck to the bottom. I let it simmer until the liquid reduces by half, then pour that rich wine reduction into the stock pot.
Deglaze again: I add half a cup of water to the pan to loosen any leftover bits and pour that into the stock pot as well. Then, I repeat the same process with the remaining 1 and a half cups of wine to make sure I’m getting every last bit of flavor into the pot.
Add the herbs: I tie the herbs and spices in cheesecloth using butcher’s twine (called a bouquet garni), then drop it into the pot.
Simmer the stock: I let the stock gently simmer over low to medium heat for 6 to 8 hours. Every hour, I come back to skim off any foam or fat that rises to the top to keep the broth clear and clean.
Strain the stock: To finish, I pour the stock through a chinois, fine mesh strainer, or a layer of cheesecloth to catch all the solids. What’s left is a smooth, velvety veal bone stock that’s ready to use or store.
Chef Tip + Notes
Gently simmer the stock over low heat for several hours to achieve the desired clear color and clean consistency. Do not boil the stock, as this will cause the fat to emulsify, making it cloudy and greasy.
- Use the right pot: I use a 7 and a half gallon pot for this recipe. If your pot is smaller, just divide the bones between two to give everything enough space.
- Save the fat: I never toss the rendered veal fat. It adds amazing flavor when I use it to sauté the vegetables.
- Caramelize the tomato paste: I always take the time to cook the tomato paste until it darkens. This step gets rid of that raw, metallic taste and builds flavor.
- Oven method: If I don’t want to sauté the vegetables and tomato paste on the stove, I roast them in the oven at 450°F for about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Bouquet garni shortcut: If I’m planning to strain the stock through a chinois later, I skip wrapping the herbs in cheesecloth.
- Skim often: I check the pot every hour to skim off the fat and foam. It keeps the stock clear and tasting clean.
Serving Suggestions
One of my favorite ways to use this veal stock is in a comforting pot of braised lamb shanks or my delicious braised short ribs. It also takes a simple pot roast to the next level, especially when you’ve got time to let it cook low and slow. Honestly, it’s like giving your dinner a secret upgrade.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: For freshness, you can make this veal stock recipe up to 4 days before serving. It will taste even better because the flavors develop even more as it sits.
How to Store: Once your stock has cooled, pour it into individual airtight containers and store them in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for 3 to 4 months. If freezing, leave a little space at the top of the container for expansion. Let the leftovers thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
How to Reheat: Pour your desired amount of stock into a saucepan and heat over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally until warm.
More Ways to Use Veal Stock
Veal Stock Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 pounds veal bones
- 4 roughly chopped yellow onions, weighing a total of 1 pound
- 4 roughly chopped ribs of celery, weighing a total of 8 ounces
- 4 peeled or unpeeled roughly chopped carrots, weight a total of 8 ounces
- 12 ounces tomato paste
- 3 cups dry red wine
- 4 to 6 sprigs of thyme
- 4 to 6 parsley stems
- 15 to 18 peppercorns
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°.
- Divide the bones between two large roasting pans, place them in the oven on a middle and bottom rack, and roast for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Halfway through the process, rotate the pans from bottom to middle and middle to the bottom so that it can cook more evenly.
- Remove the bones and add them to an extra-large stock pot. I used a 7 ½ gallon pot, and it’s ok to divide it into two pots if you do not have 1 extra-large one.
- Cover the bones with about 3 gallons of cold water. The bones should be completely submerged under the water by about 2 inches. Begin to simmer it over low to medium heat.
- Drain the rendered veal bone fat from 1 pan into the other and place it on 1 or 2 burners over medium heat, depending on the size of the pan.
- Add in the vegetables and sauté for 25 to 30 minutes while frequently stirring with a spoon or until well caramelized. Feel free to also place the pan on a middle rack in the oven at 450° for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Next, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 8 to 10 minutes to deepen the flavor and becomes a rust like color. This is process is known as pince. Likewise, you can also add the pan to the oven on a middle rack in the oven at 450° for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer everything in the pan to the pot and then return the pan back to the burners over medium heat.
- Deglaze the pan with 1 ½ cups of red wine and scrape to remove all the fond and cook it until it is reduced in half and only ¾ cups remain. Pour the mixture into the stock pot. Feel free to add a ½ cup of water to the pan and swoosh it around to get all of it out and add it to the pot.
- Place the remaining pan that was drained of fat and that will still have fond on it to 1 or 2 burners over medium heat, depending on the size of the pan.
- Deglaze with the remaining 1 ½ cups of wine and scrape to remove all the fond and cook it until it is reduced in half and only ¾ cups remain. Pour the mixture into the stock pot.
- On a 1 x 1 square foot piece of cheesecloth, place to the center the thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and garlic. Fold up the corners and securely tie a double knot around it using butcher’s twine to ensure nothing is coming out. As a note, if you plan on using a chinois to drain everything, you can just place everything in the cheesecloth into the pot.
- Simmer the stock over low to medium heat for 6 to 8 hours and be sure to come back every hour to skim and discard any impurities or fat that collects at the top.
- Strain the stock completely through a chinois, fine mesh strainer, or cheesecloth. Use, or store in the fridge or freezer.
Veal Stock Recipe