Veal Stock Recipe

A spoon removing the fat cap off the top of veal stock.

5 from 1 vote

This homemade Veal Stock Recipe is the foundation of French cuisine! Chefs love this stock because it's packed with gelatin, perfect for sauces, soups, and braised meats.

Prep Time1

Cook Time10

Total Time11

Course: sauces, stock

Cuisine: French

Servings: gallon

Calories: 272kcal

Author: Mike Cleavenger

Ingredients

10 pounds veal bones mixture of veal, knuckle, and marrow bones
2 gallons cold water, divided reserve ½ gallon for deglazing
2 onions, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 ounces tomato paste
4-5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
8 large fresh thyme sprigs
15 stems of fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Spread bones on a roasting pan and roast for 1 hour, turning them halfway through.
Using tongs, transfer the roasted veal bones to a large stock pot. Pour 1.5 gallons of cold water over the bones.
In the same roasting pan, cook the vegetables over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for an additional 5 minutes to caramelize, then transfer to the stock pot.
Pour the remaining 0.5 gallon of water into the roasting pan. Use a metal spatula to scrape up all the browned bits (the fond). Pour this liquid into the stock pot.
Bring the stock to a gentle simmer. Add the thyme, parsley stems, bay leaves, and black peppercorns. Cook over a gentle simmer for 10-12 hours.
Remove the bones using a spider or tongs. Then, strain the remaining stock through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl.
Pour the stock into containers to cool to room temperature. Then, transfer to the refrigerator for 1-2 days until a solid fat cap forms on top.
Peel the hardened fat cap off the top of the stock.

Notes

To avoid a cloudy stock, only use cold water, simmer the stock gently (don't boil), and never stir the stock (just skim the top to remove impurities).
This recipe makes 1 gallon of veal stock, so portion it into pint pint-sized deli container and freeze.
Contact your local butcher to see if they have veal bones. If they don't have any in stock, ask them if you can place an order.

Nutrition