Osso Buco
Servings: 4 - 6 servings
Ingredients
Bouquet Garni:
- 2 cloves of fresh garlic minced
- 1 sprig fresh thyme or ½ tsp. dried thyme
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 1 dry bay leaf optional, I don't use it since the flavor doesn't sit well with my family
For the Osso Buco:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 4 - 6 whole veal shanks about 1 pound per shank, trimmed
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Flour (for coating the veal shanks)
- 1 cup of chopped onions chopped into 1/4 or 1/2 inch pieces
- 3 - 4 large carrots chopped into 1/4 or 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 stalks of celery including all of the leaves, chopped into 1/4 or 1/2 inch pieces
- ½ cup chopped Italian parsley
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups tomato sauce passata, have more on hand if necessary (which we do)
- Chicken Stock - 1 tall container using 2 cups at first and then adding more when necessary
- 1 Tbsp Beef bouillon mixed in the chicken stock
Gremolata:
- 1 - 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley chopped
Instructions
Prepare the Bouquet Garni
- Place the thyme, bay leaf, and garlic cloves into cheesecloth and secure with twine (this is the bouquet garni). Optional: Add rosemary if you like. It's strong so go lightly. Add this in Step #14.
Prepare the Osso Buco:
- Pat dry the veal shanks with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Veal shanks will brown better when they are dry.
- Secure the meat to the bone with the kitchen twine (only if necessary).
- Sprinkle veal with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Dredge the shanks in flour, shaking off excess. Dredge a second time.
- In a large, deep heavy pot, heat the olive oil; do not burn. Use a pot with a fitted lid.
- Add the garlic.
- Add veal shanks to the hot pan and brown all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
- Do not burn the garlic while browning the veal; if this happens, remove the garlic immediately.
- Remove browned shanks and set aside.
- In the same pot of olive oil and garlic, add the onion, carrot, celery, and parsley.
- Season with salt at this point to help draw out the moisture from the vegetables.
- Saute until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
- Return browned shanks to the pan and add the wine and reduce liquid by half, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and the bouquet garni.
- Add the tomato sauce/passata and mix well.
- Reduce heat to low, cover pan, and simmer for about 2 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone.
- Check every 15 minutes, turning shanks and adding more chicken stock and/or tomato sauce/passata if necessary.
- The level of cooking liquid should always be about 3/4 the way up the shank.
- Carefully remove the cooked shanks from the pot and place them on a serving platter.
- If you used kitchen twine, cut it off and discard it.
- Remove and discard the bouquet garni from the pot.
- Pour all the juices and sauce from the pot over the shanks.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon zest gremolata.