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ITALIAN OSSO BUCO

Ingredients:
3 lbs. Veal shanks Note: If you cant find veal, or the cost is prohibitive, you might try lamb shanks. Some recipes say you can substitute beef shanks. Keep in mind, if you use lamb or beef, the meat wonÂt be as "fall off the bone" tender. The wonderful, meaty-vegetable stew taste will be there, however, so itÂs still worth it. Additional Note: If you use veal, you may want to tie cooking twine around the shanks to keep them from falling completely apart during cooking.

3-4 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T butter or Butter Buds
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large stalk celery, coarsely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 cup Marsala wine (or dry sherry)
1/3 cup brandy
1 T balsamic vinegar
2 T tomato paste
1 sprig rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken broth (homemade chicken stock recipe)
Veal or beef stock can be substituted.
Salt and pepper to taste

Gremolata:
2 T chopped Italian Parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t grated lemon peel
1 T lemon juice

Mix in a bowl and reserve to sprinkle over individual servings.

Preparation:
In a large skillet or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, add 2 T olive oil over medium high heat. Season shanks with salt and pepper on both sides, then brown them on all sides. When browning is down, remove the shanks to a bowl to be added back in later.

In the same pan, reduce heat to low and add 2 T olive oil and butter or Butter Buds.

Add the onions, peppers, carrots, celery and garlic. Stir well to coat, then cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. (This will allow the vegetables to release their juices.

Add the Marsala or sherry and the brandy, also the balsamic vinegar. Stir in well, cover again, and let simmer on low for about 6-8 minutes.

Make a "bouquet garni" out of the rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. (Wrap them in cheese cloth and tie with cooking twine.) Add this to the simmering vegetables, along with the tomato paste. Increase heat to medium-high and add the shanks and chicken, veal or beef stock. Stir both in well to mix with vegetables.

When broth is boiling, reduce heat to low again and cover. Cook for about 1-1 ½ hours. Veal should be "falling off the bone" tender after an hour or less. Lamb or beef might take a full hour and a half to reach maximum tenderness. Falling off the bone is probably not going to happen with lamb or beef, but the meat should be very tasty and quite tender.

Garnish with gremolata, and serve the osso buco with the above-mentioned risotto, or with creamy mashed potatoes.

In keeping with true gourmet cooking, here are a couple of variations for you:
1. Add either a 14 oz. or 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes at the point you add the Marsala and the brandy.
2. At the end of cooking, mix 1 cup of sour cream with 1 T of flour. Stir into the osso buco and remove from the heat. (This would give you a German version. Call it German Veal Shank Stew!)

Source: New Italian Recipes

(printer version of online recipe)

SharonCb

Thanks Sharon. This looks perfect so I will give it a go - with polenta although I will make mashed potatoes just in case the polenta doesn't turn out.

This is my favourite version of Osso Bucco. I prefer to make it with veal shanks but I also love it made with Lamb shanks. It is wonderful served over polenta.

Or with Risotto.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Osso Bucco
==========

Veal shank cut into pieces 1 1/2 inches thick.

6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large carrot, chopped

1 small onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

6 fresh sage leaves

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste (I keep a tube of tomato paste in the fridge

Salt/Pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F

Heat olive oil in oven proof pan. Brown veal shanks. Remove from pan and add chopped carrot and onions. Saute until tender. Add garlic and saute for another minute. Add rosemary and sage, one cup of white wine, chicken broth and a squirt of tomato paste. Cover and put in the oven for approximately 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Check occasionally to make sure there is sufficient liquid.

Serve over Polenta or Risotto and sprinkle with Gremolata

Gremolata

3 or 4 tablespoons of chopped parsley
1 clove of minced garlic
zest of one lemon

I don't buy or eat veal, I make mine with beef shanks, and it's always a hit. I use the recipe Sharon posted, it's a wonderful dish. Even my DD, who doesn't like her meat to look like meat likes it.

Enjoy

I've always made it with veal shanks too, probably because I've never thought to try lamb. I am going to put lamb shank Osso Bucco in my "try soon" file for sometime the next few weeks. Thanks for the heads up on that!

Alexa

BTW - I use Weeds Recipe that she posted a long time ago....

Osso Bucco weed style
4 thick (2 1/2-inch) veal shanks, each patted dry and tied securely with kitchen string to keep the meat attached to the bone
all-purpose flour for dredging the veal shanks
1/2 cup unsalted butter plus additional if necessary
3 tablespoons olive oil plus additional if necessary
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 to 4 cups chicken broth and beef broth, 50/50 mix (replace with veal stock if you have it!)
6 oz can of tomato paste
8 fresh thyme sprigs, finely chopped, don't use stems if woody
handful of fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, finely chopped (yields about 1/3 cup) plus more for garnish
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Season the veal shanks with salt and pepper and dredge them in the flour, shaking off the excess.
In a heavy pot large enough to hold the veal shanks in one layer, heat 3 tablespoons of the butter and 3 tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat until the foam subsides, and brown the shanks, adding some of the additional butter and oil as necessary.
Remove shanks to a platter.
Add a little of the wine to the pot to deglaze, scraping up the brown bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the pot. Add the rest of the wine and boil until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup.
Reserve the wine reduction in a bowl.
Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in the remaining butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened.
Add the shanks with any juices that have accumulated on the platter, the reserved wine mixture, and enough of the broth to almost cover the shanks.
Spread the tomato paste over the shanks, add the thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and more salt and pepper to taste.
Bring the liquid to a low boil, then reduce to a lively simmer. Braise the shanks, turning every half hour until very tender, about 2 hours.
Remove the shanks to a platter, take off the strings and cover with foil to keep warm.
Skim the fat from the pot, then strain the pan juices into a saucepan, pressing hard on the solids. **(see note below)
Boil the juices until they are reduced and sauce begins to thicken. Add salt and more pepper to taste. Return shanks to pot to heat through.
Serve over a simple risotto, garnish with more chopped parsley, and dont forget to provide some cocktail forks to get at the marrow.
Heaven!!
Notes:
**I dont do the straining the vegetables step. I cut my veggies super fine, and leave them in the sauce. I have also tried pureeing the sauce so it is smooth, but I like the itty bitty chunks of veggies in there. The last time I made it, I used my food processor to do the veggies - a real "aha!" moment. Cut so much time off of prep, and the veggies were super finely chopped, adding texture to the sauce but not too much.
Using red wine in this dish is not the norm every recipe Ive seen calls for white wine. I like the flavor of red much better, plus I get to drink the rest ;)
Fresh or canned tomatoes are typically used, but I like the richness of the tomato paste.
If you like it a little "beefier" tasting, use all beef broth instead of the chicken/beef mix.
Osso Bucco is traditionally served with gremolata on top, but I dont care for it. Here is the recipe in case you like it:
Gremolata
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves (preferably flat-leafed)
2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Sprinkle over cooked shanks.

If you have a pressure cooker, try this.

This recipe for Osso Buco is from Lorna Sasss Cooking Under Pressure. I have made it both as a slow braise (traditional), and made it in the pressure cookerI actually prefer the pressure cooker version. Even if youre only cooking for two and using just two veal shanks, dont halve the remaining ingredients; the sauce is wonderful by itself. Once you get the Osso Buco started in the cooker, cook up some pasta or rice to soak up the sauce. The gremolata garnish is traditional, but I dont care for it; some authorities, such as Marcella Hazan, dont use it.

Osso Buco alla Milanese (Braised Veal Shanks, Milan-style) Serves 4

4 veal shanks, about 10 oz each 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
½ cup dry red wine or dry vermouth 1/3 cup beef or chicken stock or bullion
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped 1 stalk celery, sliced thinly
½ pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
One 14 oz can tomatoes, coarsely chopped, including juice
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg (optional)
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste (less if using canned bullion)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Gremolata: (optional)

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
½ cup finely minced fresh parsley

Rinse the veal shanks, pat dry, and dredge in flour, pressing the flour into the veal with the heel of your hand. Shake off excess flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the cooker. Over medium heat, brown the veal on both sides and set aside on a platter.

Add the remaining oil and sauté the onions until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the red wine and stir, taking care to scrape up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, browned shanks, carrots, celery, mushrooms, tomatoes, basil, oregano, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

Lock the lid in place and over high heat bring to high pressure. Adjust the heat to maintain high pressure and cook for 18 minutes. Let the pressure drop naturally or use a quick-release method (venting the steam or putting the cooker in the sink and running cold water over it). Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape.

Prepare the gremolata, if used, by combining the garlic, lemon zest, and parsley. When the shanks are done, stir in the gremolata and simmer for a few minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Note: if using smaller shanks, check for doneness after 15 minutes of high pressure.

Oops: the formatting was screwed up when I cut & pasted. Here's a repost with the ingredients not running into each other.

This recipe for Osso Buco is from Lorna Sasss Cooking Under Pressure. I have made it both as a slow braise (traditional), and made it in the pressure cookerI actually prefer the pressure cooker version. Even if youre only cooking for two and using just two veal shanks, dont halve the remaining ingredients; the sauce is wonderful by itself. Once you get the Osso Buco started in the cooker, cook up some pasta or rice to soak up the sauce. The gremolata garnish is traditional, but I dont care for it; some authorities, such as Marcella Hazan, dont use it.

Osso Buco alla Milanese (Braised Veal Shanks, Milan-style) Serves 4

4 veal shanks, about 10 oz each
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
½ cup dry red wine or dry vermouth
1/3 cup beef or chicken stock or bullion
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced thinly
½ pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
One 14 oz can tomatoes, coarsely chopped, including juice
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg (optional)
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste (less if using canned bullion)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Gremolata: (optional)

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
½ cup finely minced fresh parsley

Rinse the veal shanks, pat dry, and dredge in flour, pressing the flour into the veal with the heel of your hand. Shake off excess flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the cooker. Over medium heat, brown the veal on both sides and set aside on a platter.

Add the remaining oil and sauté the onions until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the red wine and stir, taking care to scrape up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, browned shanks, carrots, celery, mushrooms, tomatoes, basil, oregano, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

Lock the lid in place and over high heat bring to high pressure. Adjust the heat to maintain high pressure and cook for 18 minutes. Let the pressure drop naturally or use a quick-release method (venting the steam or putting the cooker in the sink and running cold water over it). Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape.

Prepare the gremolata, if used, by combining the garlic, lemon zest, and parsley. When the shanks are done, stir in the gremolata and simmer for a few minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Note: if using smaller shanks, check for doneness after 15 minutes of high pressure.