Osso Buco

Osso Buco means bone with a hole. Cross-cut veal shanks are braised low and slow until the meat is falling off the bone and the marrow in the center has become a trembling, unctuous treasure. Finished with gremolata.

byKalle Bergman

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Osso buco is a dish that asks something of you: time, attention, and veal shanks that are worth the money. In return it gives you braised meat so tender it collapses at the touch of a fork, marrow that has spent two and a half hours turning into something trembling and rich. A sauce built from white wine, diced tomatoes, and the full aromatic base of onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. This is a dish for a weekend when you want to cook seriously. It is one of the reasons Milanese cuisine has the reputation it does.

Two details define the difference between a good osso buco and a great one. First, tie each shank with kitchen twine before braising: the meat shrinks as it cooks and without the twine it separates from the bone and falls apart. Second, do not treat the gremolata as optional garnish. Lemon zest, raw garlic, and flat-leaf parsley mixed together and scattered over the finished shanks is not decoration: it is the acidity and brightness that cuts alongside the richness of the braise and makes the whole thing cohere. Ask your butcher to cut the shanks 1.5 inches thick, and plan to serve this over saffron risotto — it’s the kind of Sunday cooking that’s worth clearing the afternoon for.

Prepare and Brown Shanks

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pat veal shanks dry and tie kitchen twine around circumference of each to help hold shape during braising. Season with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in flour, shaking off excess. Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown shanks on both sides, about four minutes per side, working in batches if needed. Remove and set aside.

Build Braising Liquid

Reduce heat to medium. Add butter, then diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for six to seven minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook thirty seconds. Pour in white wine and scrape up all fond from bottom. Let wine reduce by half, about three minutes. Add diced tomatoes, stock, and bouquet garni. Return shanks to pot, nestling snugly in single layer. Liquid should come about two-thirds up sides.

Braise and Finish

Bring to simmer, cover, and transfer to oven. Braise for two to two and a half hours, turning shanks once halfway through, until meat is extremely tender and pulling away from bone. Make gremolata by combining lemon zest, parsley, and garlic. Transfer shanks to platter and remove twine. If braising liquid is too thin, reduce on stovetop. Pour sauce over shanks and finish with generous gremolata. Serve over risotto.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why tie the shanks with twine?

The meat shrinks during braising and can fall apart and separate from the bone. Twine keeps each shank intact and looking presentable. Remove the twine before serving.

What thickness should the shanks be?

Ask your butcher for shanks cut one and a half inches thick. This is the ideal ratio of meat to bone. Thinner cuts dry out, thicker ones take too long to cook.

Can I skip the gremolata?

The gremolata is essential, not a garnish. Its raw lemon zest, garlic, and parsley provide the sharp, bright contrast that prevents this rich braise from becoming one-dimensional. Don’t skip it.

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About the Author

Kalle Bergman

Kalle Bergman is a food writer and media entrepreneur and the founder of Honest Cooking & Travel Magazine. His writing has been regularly featured in publications like Gourmet, Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post and Serious Eats. He is obsessed with simple food, more often than not from his native Scandinavia or Spain.