Culina's Blog

Osso Buco 

One of my favorite Italian dishes is Osso Buco. Some restaurants add too much tomato. I prefer to taste and savor the veal. The tomatoes should kiss the veal, not smother it. Here is a recipe I found in Fine Cooking magazine, with a few modifications,  that never fails. I make my Osso Buco in an Emile Henry "Flame" clay braising dish. They are beautiful cooking vessels, oven to table. Below are the ingredients and preparation instructions for Osso Buco and Gremolata. The Gremolata is spooned over the Osso Buco just before serving. 

Ingredients 

• 4-6 Veal Shanks
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for dredging (for Gluten Free- use cornstarch) 

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 cups finely diced red or yellow onion (about 2 medium onions)
• 1 cup finely diced celery (about 2 stalks)
• 3/4 cup finely diced carrot (about 2 small carrots)
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbs. tomato paste
• 1 28-oz. can Italian San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped, juices reserved
• 1 cup low-salt chicken broth, more if needed
• 1 large sprig thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tbs. arrowroot mixed with 2 tsp. broth or water

• • GREMOlATA INGREDIENTS and Preparation 

    1. • 1 lemon
       • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
       • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
         Using vegetable peeler, remove peel in long strips from lemon and remove as much of the white pith as possible or zest the entire lemon. Mince lemon peel (if not zesting). Transfer to small bowl. Mix in parsley and garlic. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

• Preparation of Osso Buco 

  • Heat the oven to 350°F.
  • Tie the veal shanks around the middle with kitchen string (if they’re not tied already) and season them with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a dish. Dredge the shanks very lightly in flour, thoroughly shaking off the excess.
  • Have ready a roasting pan or baking dish large enough to hold the shanks in a single layer (9×13-inch works well). In a large heavy skillet, heat 3 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high heat. Put three veal shanks in the pan and sear until nicely browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Move the shanks to the roasting pan. Repeat with the remaining three shanks.
  • Carefully pour off the fat in the pan and wipe it out with paper towels (it’s fine if the browned bits remain in the pan bottom; just wipe away the used oil). Return the pan to medium heat and add the butter and remaining 1 Tbs. of oil. When the butter is melted, add the onion, celery, carrot, oregano, and 1 tsp. salt. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the wine, and cook, scraping up any brown bits with a wooden spoon, until the wine is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes
  • Stir in the tomato paste. Add the tomatoes with their juices, the broth, thyme, bay leaf, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, and pour the contents of the pan over the shanks. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or if cooking in a dutch oven, cover with lid. 
  • Braise the veal in the oven until fork-tender, 1-1/2 to 2 hours, checking the liquid occasionally. If it has cooked down, add enough broth to keep the level about halfway up the shanks. To check for doneness, pierce a shank with a fork. The meat should pull apart easily. Taste a morsel—it should feel soft and tender. Do not overcook, or the veal will fall apart.
  • Gently brush most of the vegetable bits off the shanks. With a wide, flat metal spatula, carefully transfer the veal shanks to a dish. Strain the pan juices through a medium-mesh sieve into a saucepan, pressing hard on the solids with a spatula to extract as much sauce as you can. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Whisk in the arrowroot mixture and cook briefly to thicken.
  • -------------
  • I am not a fan of Polenta so I serve Osso Buco over saffron risotto or mashed potatoes.