Traditional Osso Buco

Time: 3–4 hours | Serves: 4–5 Nature: Very Warm | Flavor: Salty, Acrid

Ingredients

For the Stew

  • All-purpose flour for dredging
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 pounds (4 pieces) osso buco (bone-in veal/beef shanks)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 TBL extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 TBL unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken or beef stock
  • 1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes

For the Gremolata

  • 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • Zest of 1/2 lemon
  • Pinch kosher salt

Directions

  1. Spread flour in a shallow bowl or plate. Tie the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf together with kitchen twine.

  2. Season the veal with the salt and then pepper to taste, and then dredge it in the flour to coat all sides. Heat oil in a heavy dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the osso buco in batches (2 at a time), and brown well on all sides. Altogether it will take 20 to 30 minutes to get all the pieces nicely colored. Transfer the pieces to a plate as they brown.

  3. Turn heat down to medium. Add the butter to the pot along with the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are very soft, about 10–12 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste, and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste has darkened, another 1 to 2 minutes.

  4. Add the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the stock and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Nestle the osso buco pieces into the pot, then add the herb bundle. Bring stew up to a simmer, cover, set heat to low and cook for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling apart.

  5. If sauce is thin, remove tender meat and increase heat to reduce the liquid until thick. Return meat to sauce to rewarm and prepare for serving.

Serving Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients together for the gremolata.
  2. Serve osso buco over cooked polenta or rice and topped with a spoonful of gremolata.
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