Osso buco alla Milanese — veal shanks slow-braised with vegetables, white wine and tomato until falling off the bone, finished with bright lemon-garlic gremolata. A classic feast.
- 4 meaty shanks Veal
- ½ cup Flour
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 3 tablespoons Butter
- 1 medium chopped into ½-inch pieces Onion
- 1 chopped into ½-inch pieces Carrots
- 1 chopped into ½-inch pieces Celery
- 1 bulb chopped into ½-inch pieces Fennel
- 2 strips Orange Zest
- 1 ½ teaspoons Marjoram
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 cup Dry White Wine
- ½ cup Chicken Stock
- 1 cup chopped with juice Tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chopped Parsley
- 1 teaspoon minced Garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated Lemon Zest
Video
Preparation
- Heat the oven to 300°F.
- Dredge the shanks: pour the flour into a shallow dish, season the veal shanks all over with salt and pepper, then roll each in the flour to coat, shaking off the excess. Discard the remaining flour.
- Brown the shanks: heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a wide Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and the oil shimmers, lower in the shanks flat-side down (working in batches if needed) and brown, turning once, until both flat sides are well caramelized, about 5 minutes per side. Lower the heat slightly if the butter-oil starts to burn, then transfer the shanks to a platter.
- The aromatics: pour off and discard the fat, wipe out any burnt bits with a damp paper towel (keeping the caramelized bits), then add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and melt over medium heat. When it stops foaming, add the onion, carrot, celery and fennel, season with salt and pepper, and cook until beginning to soften but not brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, orange zest, marjoram and bay leaf and cook another minute or two.
- The braising liquid: add the wine, raise the heat to high, and boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half, 5 minutes. Add the stock and tomatoes with their juice and boil again to reduce the liquid to about 1 cup total, about 10 minutes.
- The braise: place the shanks in the pot, bone facing up, and pour over any accumulated juices. Cover with parchment pressed down so it nearly touches the veal, then cover tightly with the lid and slide into the lower oven to braise at a gentle simmer. Check after 15 minutes and lower the oven by 10–15 degrees if simmering too aggressively. Continue braising, turning the shanks and spooning over pan juices after the first 40 minutes, until the meat is completely tender and pulling from the bone, about 2 hours.
- The gremolata: meanwhile, stir together the garlic, parsley and lemon zest in a small bowl, cover, and set aside in a cool place.
- The finish: when the veal is fork-tender, remove the lid, sprinkle over half the gremolata, and return to the oven uncovered for another 15 minutes to caramelize.
- Carefully lift the shanks from the braising liquid with a slotted spatula, keeping them as intact as possible, and arrange on a platter without stacking, then cover with foil to keep warm.
- Finish the sauce: set the pot on the stove, skim off any surface fat, and taste. If weak, boil over high heat to reduce and intensify for 5 to 10 minutes, then adjust the salt and pepper, stirring in a teaspoon or two of gremolata if it needs more zip.
- Serve one shank per person (or pull larger shanks apart at their natural seams for smaller portions), accompanied by risotto if you like. Just before serving, sprinkle over the remaining gremolata and spoon over a generous amount of sauce.
