Osso buco is one of the best winter dishes my family like to eat and which is so simple to make.
Osso buco literally translates as bone's hole. It is an inch and a half slab of veal shank with a good amount of tough meat surrounding a large flat piece of bone with rich marrow in the canter. When cooked the marrow melts into the sauce leaving an open whole in the canter. That's where the name osso buco comes from. Its an excellent stew dish, with a hundred different variations.
This simple buco recipe is the one that always gives the perfect results with the tender flavoursome falling of the bone meat and the yummiest gravy ever.
Osso buco recipe
Ingredients:
4 pieces of osso buco (veal shank)
2 carrots, chopped finely
2 onion, chopped finely
3 celery sticks, chopped finely
3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
2 bay leaves
½ cup plain flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground white pepper
¼ cup tomato paste
1 ½ cups white wine
1 ½ cups veal or beef stock
1 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
3tbs olive oil
20g butter
Serves 4
Method:
Combine flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Coat the osso buco in the flour. Shake off the excess flour, otherwise it will burn in the pan.
In a large fry pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter, brown the meat until golden, and transfer to the slow cooker or a casserole dish.
Lower the heat to medium, add the last tbs oil, carrots, celery, onion and garlic, sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
Into the pan add wine, stock, tomatoes and bay leaves. Add any of the leftover flour from coating the osso buco.
Place the vegetable mixture into the slow cooker. Make sure all the meat is covered with the liquid; otherwise you may end-up with the dry and tough meat.
Put the lid on and leave for 3-5 hours. Check from 3 hours onwards, If you need to add a little more water or stock towards the end, do so, and when the veal is soft and falling away from the bone, it is ready.
Serve on mashed potato or soft polenta. To add the extra touch top with gremolata.
Gremolata
Combine ½ cup finely chopped parsley, 2 cloves finely chopped garlic and 1 tbs lemon zest.
The best easy family recipe of osso buco you will cook frequently. Enjoy!