Ossobuco

Ossobuco alla Milanese

Classic Milanese braised veal shanks, slow-cooked with white wine, beef broth and soffritto until the meat slips off the bone. Traditionally served over risotto alla milanese, with the marrow scooped out and eaten.

Prep

30 min

Cook

150 min

Total

180 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •4 pieces cross-cut veal shank (ossobuco), about 3 cm / 1¼ in thick, bone in, ask the butcher not to trim the marrow bone
• •60 g (2 oz) plain flour, for dredging
• •60 ml (2 fl oz) olive oil, or half oil, half butter
• •30 g (1 oz) butter
• •1 medium onion, finely diced
• •1 medium carrot, finely diced
• •1 rib celery, finely diced
• •1 clove garlic, crushed
• •150 ml (5 fl oz) dry white wine, a Lombard white such as Gavi or Soave, or any dry white
• •400 g (14 oz) tinned chopped tomatoes, or 2 tbsp tomato purée plus a little stock
• •500 ml (17 fl oz) beef broth, warm
• •1 bay leaf bay leaf
• •2 sprigs thyme, or a small bunch of parsley stalks
• •1 strip lemon zest, for the gremolata
• •1 clove garlic, for the gremolata, very finely chopped
• •15 g (½ oz) flat-leaf parsley, for the gremolata, finely chopped
• •1 pinch salt and black pepper

Steps

1. 1 Pat the veal shanks dry and season them generously with salt and pepper. Spread the flour on a plate and dredge each piece, shaking off the excess.
2. 2 Heat the olive oil and 15 g (½ oz) of the butter in a heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the shanks on both sides until deeply golden, about 3–4 minutes per side. Work in batches so the pan is not crowded. Set the shanks aside.
3. 3 Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining butter, then the onion, carrot and celery. Cook gently, stirring, until softened and lightly coloured, 8–10 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. 4 Turn the heat up and pour in the white wine. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and let the wine bubble until reduced by about half, 2–3 minutes.
5. 5 Stir in the chopped tomatoes, warm beef broth, bay leaf and thyme. Return the shanks to the pan, spooning the liquid over them. The liquid should come about two-thirds of the way up the meat.
6. 6 Bring to a bare simmer, then cover with a lid set slightly ajar. Cook at the gentlest possible simmer for 1½–2 hours, turning the shanks once or twice, until the meat is completely tender and pulling away from the bone.
7. 7 Doneness cue: the veal is ready when a fork inserted into the thickest part meets no resistance and the meat slides off the bone easily. Veal shank is safe once it reaches an internal temperature of at least 72°C (161°F), but the real test here is the texture - keep braising until it is fork-tender.
8. 8 Lift the shanks onto a warm platter and keep warm. Skim any fat from the surface of the sauce, then simmer it uncovered for 5–10 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
9. 9 Make the gremolata: finely chop the parsley with the garlic and grate in the lemon zest, mixing together.
10. 10 Spoon the sauce over the shanks and scatter the gremolata on top. Serve with risotto alla milanese, offering small forks or spoons so everyone can scoop out the marrow from the bone.