Ossobuco Alla Milanese - Veal Shanks

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1 40

Total Time: 1 50

Servings: people

This fork-tender ossobuco alla Milanese sits on a succulent sauce with a touch of tomato paste and wine. Topped by the perfectly bright green gremolata.

Ingredients

OSSOBUCO

4 large meaty veal shanks, about 2-inch thick
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups yellow onion, minced
4 ounces thickly sliced pancetta , and diced
1 cup white wine
1 tablespoon double concentrate Italian tomato paste
2 cups beef broth

GREMOLATA

1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
½ tablespoon sage, finely chopped
½ tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 anchovies fillets, finely chopped
1 Grated lemon zest

US - Metric

Instructions

OSSOBUCO

Preheat the oven to 350 F
Pat the shanks with paper towels. Season them with salt and pepper and dredge them lightly in flour.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy, ovenproof pan. When hot, add the shanks and cook until golden brown on both sides. Once done, transfer to a platter.
Discard most of the oil in the pan and return to medium heat; add the butter and cook until it starts to foam. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions. Cook, stirring, until the onions are pale and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pancetta and cook until lightly golden, 4 minutes.
Return the shanks to the skillet and move around, turning once until well coated with the onions. Raise the heat and add the white wine. Cook while stirring until the wine is reduced by half.
In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato paste and broth. Add to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil and place on the middle rack of the oven. Cook until the meat falls away from the bone, around 2 hours. Check occasionally and ensure the liquid stays at a gentle simmer.
Reduce the heat to 325 F if the liquid evaporates too quickly. When done, the sauce should be reduced by approximately half and have a rich brown color and thick consistency.

GREMOLATA

While the shanks are cooking, combine all the ingredients for the gremolata in a small bowl.
When the shanks are done, place them on a large platter. If the sauce is too thin, reduce quickly over high heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Spoon some sauce over each shank and sprinkle a bit of gremolata.

OPTIONAL

You can also add some gremolata into the sauce off the heat before serving.

Equipment

Notes

For the perfect ossobuco ask your butcher to give you hind of shanks, which are meatier.
Sear your meat before braising is important for building the rich flavor.
Brown in enough oil over medium-high heat so they will not stick to the pan. Once seared, the meat should be golden and crusty and not burned.
Do not accelerate the process by using high heat while cooking, making your meat tougher. A great braising should be done over very gentle heat.
The whole dish can be prepared several hours ahead of time. Warm gently before serving.
Taste and adjust your seasoning toward the end of cooking as flavors tend to enhance while cooking.
The gremolata can also be stirred into the sauce just before serving. Make sure your pan is off the heat while you are mixing it.

Nutrition

Giangi's Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.