Lombardy Main Course
Osso Buco
Make osso buco with braised veal shanks, white wine, stock, vegetables, tomatoes, and fresh gremolata.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 2 hr 15 min
- Total
- 2 hr 40 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Advanced
Instructions
- Tie the veal shanks with kitchen string if needed, then season and brown them well on both sides.
- Remove the shanks and cook onion, carrot, and celery until soft and lightly golden.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes before adding the wine.
- Reduce the wine by half, then add stock and return the shanks to the pot in a single layer.
- Cover and braise gently until the meat is tender but still holding to the bone.
- Turn the shanks once or twice during cooking and add a splash of stock if the pan becomes dry.
- Mix lemon zest, garlic, and parsley for gremolata, then sprinkle it over the hot shanks just before serving.
- Spoon the sauce around the meat rather than over the gremolata so the garnish stays fresh.
This osso buco recipe braises veal shanks slowly until the meat is tender and the marrow enriches the sauce. It follows the spirit of osso buco alla Milanese with wine, vegetables, stock, and bright gremolata.
Why This Osso Buco Recipe Works
Tie the shanks with kitchen string if they are loose. This helps them keep their shape during the long braise.
Key Tips
- Brown the Italian veal shanks deeply before braising so the sauce gains savory depth.
- Cook gently until the meat nearly releases from the bone; braised veal shanks need time, not high heat.
- Add gremolata at the end to lift the richness of osso buco alla Milanese.
Variations and Serving Ideas
The same technique helps when you want osso buco alla Milanese, braised veal shanks, and Italian veal shanks. Keep the character of Osso Buco in mind: choose good ingredients, control texture, and serve the dish at the moment it tastes most vivid.
Lombardy Main Course braisedvealslow-cookedlombardy
