Ossobuco

Ossobuco, meaning "bone with a hole" in Italian, is on the menu today, because sometimes you just have to pamper yourself. Ossobuco is a traditional Italian stew made from cross-cut veal/beef shanks, garnished with a zesty gremolata and served with saffron risotto or polenta. The veal or beef shanks stewed in a stock of vegetables and spices, releasing an incomparable rich flavour. Admittedly, this recipe is time-consuming, so it’s perfect for special occasions or if you simply fancy spending some time in the kitchen. So get your apron out and let the cooking begin!
You will need an oven-safe roasting pan for this dish. Use a cast-iron pan in which you can first sear the beef shanks and stirfry the vegetables on the stove. Then transfer to the roasting pan to the oven, where they will slow cook for 2-3 hours until butter soft. If you don't have a roasting pan to hand, you can improvise and place the seared ingredients in a casserole dish. Serve the ossobuco with any side dish you like.

	Gremolata
4 Cross-cut beef/veal shanks, 3cm thick Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper 3 Garlic cloves, peeled and sliced 3 Onions, peeled and diced 2 Carrots, diced 2-3 Celery sticks, diced 3 tbsp Beef tallow or olive oil 1 tbsp Tomato paste 200 ml White wine 450 ml Hot beef stock 3 Thyme sprigs 2 Bay leaves 2 Cloves	30 g Flat parsley, chopped 1 Organic lemon, zested 2 Garlic cloves, chopped

Generously season the beef shanks with salt and pepper. Slice the garlic and dice the onions, celery sticks and carrots.
Melt beef tallow in an oven safe pan and sear the beef shanks on both sides until golden brown. Take them out and keep them warm.
Add the sliced garlic and diced vegetables to the pan. Fry everything briefly. Then add in tomato paste and stir everything together. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
Deglaze with white wine and add the hot beef stock. Stir well. Bring everything to the boil briefly. Return the beef shanks to the pan and add the bay leaves, cloves and thyme sprigs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Close the lid or cover with aluminum foil and place the pan in the oven. Leave the ossobuco to braise for about 2.5-3 hours. Remove the rid for the last 30 minutes. If the meat is still not buttery soft, continue to braise and add more of the beef stock if necessary.
To make the gremolata, finely chop the parsley and place in a bowl. Add the garlic and lemon zest and mix together.
To serve, sprinkle the gremolata over the ossobuco. This dish is traditionally eaten with saffron risotto or creamy polenta, but you could serve it with pasta or crusty bread. Don’t forget to scoop out the delicious, rich marrow from the holes of the bones!

3 comments:

Tom 26/12/25 12:45: ...Angie, you continue to create culinary masterpieces.
David M. Gascoigne, 26/12/25 12:56: Back in the day when beef still made it to our plates, I enjoyed this dish. Always in Italian restaurant, however. I never tried cooking it.
DEZMOND 26/12/25 13:19: Hope you had a nice Christmas, dear! What will you be cooking for Silvester?