Ossobuco is the Italian name for bone with a hole that has the marrow inside it. Veal Ossobuco is a hearty and delicious rustic veal-shank stew. This meal originated in Milan, and it’s usually served with a side of Risotto alla Milanese, (with saffron). The veal shank is usually cut up in 1 – 1.5 inch thick, and is braised in a tomato-based and wine sauce. It’s the kind of meat that needs to be slow-cooked in order for it to become tender. I came up with this scrumptious recipe, and I am happy to share it with all of you.
Serves: 4 Degree of difficulty: Medium
Total preparation and cooking time: About 2 hours.
Ingredients:
- 3.5 lb. veal shank, cut up in 1 – 1.5 inch thick *
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, + more as needed
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (chardonnay)
- 2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 1/2 fennel bulb, sliced (can substitute with celery)
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 1/2 cup of flour
Preparation:1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.2) In the meanwhile, season veal with salt and pepper. Drench in flour and shake off the excess. Discard any leftover flour.3) In a Dutch-Oven pot, on medium-high heat, heat up, 2-3 tbsp. olive oil, sear the veal for about 3 minutes on each side until it gets a nice brown color. You may have to work in batches depending how many veal shanks you have.
4) Remove and set aside. In the same pot, add more oil, if necessary, and sautee the onions, carrots, fennel for 1-2 minutes, add garlic, 1 minute, then, tomato paste, and stir well until it caremelizes. Deglaze with the wine. Scrape the bottom of the pot and reduce for 1-2 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, thyme, salt & pepper. Return the veal shanks in the pot. Bring to a boil, and turn the burner off.
5) Place the pot covered in the middle rack of the oven, and let it braise for about 1.5 – 2 hours. Check occasionally for seasoning.
6) While the veal is braising you can prepare the Risotto or a side dish of your choice.
*The meat is sometimes wrapped in a butcher twine to prevent it from falling apart, and maintain its beautiful shape. My butcher assured me that I didn’t need it this time, because of the thickness and the quality of the meat. He was right on.
Suggestions: Typically, Gremolata is used as a garnish in this dish. It is a condiment made of either lemon or orange zest, chopped parsley and garlic.
Gremolata
My family and I savored this yummy meal, but the best part of this dish is the marrow inside the bone. We were all fighting for the meat with the most marrow. It is succulent and is considered a delicacy.
I hope you will give this delectable recipe a try in your kitchen.
Wine suggestions: Chianti, Super Tuscan, Rosso di Montalcino, Aglianico, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. They’re all Italian wines and most of them are affordable.
Happy Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours!
The best part…….
Please note, I have made Ossobuco again since this blogpost, and updated the featured picture on 4/7/2016
My great friend Angela introduced me to another wonderful version of Ossobuco in a brown sauce. It’s her dad’s famous recipe, and it is equally as delicious.
Foodie WineLover 
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