Osso Bucco is definitely a comfort dish, but with a hint of sophistication. It certainly is not an everyday dish, but fits right in for a Sunday family get together or dinner with friends. I have served it with pasta, Ricotta filled ravioli, and a friend has served it with mash.
Ingredients
- 3 veal shanks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp all-purpose-flour to dredge the veal shank
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 small carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 - 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 can tomato paste (or 2 lg tablespoons)
- 1/2 cup beef stock
- 1 can chopped canned tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 grated lemon rind
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients before starting recipe.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over high heat in a medium saucepan large enough to allow the 3 shanks to fit in a single layer.
- Spoon 2 or 3 tablespoons of flour on parchment paper; sprinkle kosher salt on both sides of veal shank, then grind fresh pepper on each side and lastly coat each shank in flour.
- Add floured veal shanks to saucepan when the oil is hot.
- Sear each side over high heat for 3-4 minutes per side, or until nicely browned.
- When both sides have been seared, remove to a platter and reserve.
- Reduce heat to medium high and add chopped onion, celery and carrots to saucepan and stir to coat the vegetables evenly with the remaining 1 tablespoonful of oil; cook until the vegetables begin to color and become soft, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add chopped garlic and white wine to vegetables and cook to reduce by a third, maybe 4 or 5 minutes.
- Return seared veal shanks to saucepan.
- Add chopped canned tomatoes, tomato paste and beef stock.
- Cover with a lid propped open with a spoon and simmer on low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Rustic Presentation
- Once the shanks are tender, serve with pasta or ravioli on the side.
Finer Presentation
- Remove shanks from sauce and set aside.
- Pour sauce into a blender and pure.
- Pass pure through a fine sieve.
- And return the sauce to the sauce pan to reheat before serving.
- Remove bones and unwanted fat from the shanks.
- And return the meat to the fine sauce.
Serving
- Serve in a rim soup bowl using a base of 5-6 cheese ravioli, topped with veal shank and sauce. Top the dish with chopped parsley and grated lemon rind.
Author Notes
When I first started cooking this dish, I was very influenced by French cooking techniques, including putting most sauces through a fine sieve or a chinois. This is a method used to produce velvety smooth sauces. I show the procedure for this finishing method at the end of this recipe but honestly, I have not done this in quite some time. Recently, I have been serving this wonderful dish in a more rustic style, the taste is just as good, it looks delicious, and it saves about 10 minutes overall.