The Best Smoked Deer Hoof Broth
This Smoked Deer Hoof (Deer Trotter) Broth is one more way to use the whole animal and add to your offal cookery repertoire.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 4 Legs of one deer (see above for skinning and cleaning directions)
- kosher salt
- 8 ounces carrots
- 3 stalks celery
- 2 medium yellow onions
- 2 heads garlic
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon crushed juniper berries
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Deer Trotter Brine
- Pace the skinned and cleaned legs and feet in a large stockpot, cover them with water, add ¼ cup of kosher salt, and boil them for 20 minutes. Carefully remove them from the water, rinse them off under running water, and place them on a rimmed baking sheet and pat dry with paper towels before placing them in the smoker.
- Wash the stockpot well with soap and water before using again to make the broth!
Smoker Directions
- Smoke the deer trotters for 1 to 2 hours at 250F. The bones should turn a dark amber color.
Trotter Bone Broth
- Place the trotters and lower leg bones into a large stockpot and cover with cold water by several inches. I used about 14 cups of water to get them completely covered. Bring the broth to a boil and skim off any scum that floats to the surface. After the surface is clear, reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for about 4 hours.
- After you have cooked the bones in the water for about 2 hours, place the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with some olive oil and kosher salt, and roast them at 425 degrees F for about 30 minutes. Add the roasted vegetables and remaining ingredients (except for the parsley) to the stockpot with the broth, stir everything together well, and let it cook for another 90 minutes. No more.
- After this, strain everything out, separating the liquid from the vegetables and trotters. Once your broth is strained, clean the stockpot and pour just the liquid back into it. Return it to the stovetop over low heat, simmer again to reduce for about another hour, and add kosher salt to taste.
- To serve the broth, ladle about 2 cups in each serving bowl. If you want to raise some eyebrows, you can place one of the deer hooves in each bowl before placing it in front of your dinner guests. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Freeze for up to 2 months.
