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Apron & Atlas — home

Osso Bucco, a Trip to the North of Italy

Italy — see recipes from this place
  • 2 h to 2 h 30
  • For 2–3 people
Braised veal shank in a dark, glossy sauce on a bed of orange squash purée, in a green-rimmed bowl, finished with a sprig of dill.

Veal shanks from northern Italy, braised slowly until tender, the bone marrow enriching the sauce.

Ingredients

  • 2–3 veal shanks (beef also works), around 300–400 g each
  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons of flour
  • 200 ml of white wine
  • 400 g of chopped tomatoes
  • 300 ml of beef or vegetable stock
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 small piece of butter
  • 1 bay leaf
  • A little fresh thyme
  • Salt & pepper

For the gremolata

  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Fresh parsley

Method

  1. Prepare the meat. Pat the veal shanks dry with kitchen paper and season them generously with salt and pepper. Lightly coat them with flour and shake off any excess.

  2. Brown the veal. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy-bottomed pan. Brown the veal shanks on all sides until they develop a nice golden colour. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

  3. Prepare the vegetables. Finely chop the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Add them to the same pan and cook over medium heat for around 5 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables become soft.

  4. Deglaze the pan. Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the caramelised pieces. Let the wine reduce for a few minutes.

  5. Start the braise. Add the chopped tomatoes, stock, bay leaf and thyme. Return the veal shanks to the pan. The liquid should come roughly halfway up the meat.

  6. Slow cook. Cover the pan and cook over a very low heat for around 1½ to 2 hours. Turn the shanks occasionally and check that there is always enough liquid. The meat should become very tender and almost fall away from the bone.

  7. Prepare the gremolata. Finely chop the parsley and garlic and mix them with the lemon zest. This fresh mixture will cut through the richness of the dish.

  8. Finish the dish. Once the meat is tender, remove the bay leaf and thyme. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning.

  9. Serve. Serve the osso buco hot with plenty of sauce and a generous spoonful of gremolata. Traditionally, it is served with risotto alla Milanese, polenta or mashed potatoes, butternut purée or pasta can also do the job. And don't forget the best part — the bone marrow in the centre of the shank! A slow, comforting northern Italian dish that is perfect for a long Sunday meal.

I cook dishes like this one in people's homes across Cape Town.

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