Ossobuco is one of those Italian dishes that’s always on the menus of the most refined restaurants. With its classic central bone and a rich accompanying sauce, it has gone from being a humble cut of meat to becoming a gourmet dish worldwide, not just in Italy.
What part of the veal is osso buco?
But what exactly is osso buco? It’s a cut of beef with the bone, taken from the leg of the animal, specifically from the area between the calf and the hock. In butcher shops here, you might find this cut under the names of shank or hock.
This is a traditional stew from the Lombardy region of Italy, and it’s especially typical of the city of Milan. It’s very common to eat it simply with its own sauce, but it can also be served with freshly boiled tagliatelle sautéed in butter and chopped chives. The key to this dish is that it’s cooked on the bone, giving the meat a unique texture and flavor.
How to cook osso buco so that it is tender?
This is one of those recipes that should be reserved for special occasions due to its high calorie content and the fact that it requires a bit of care and time to prepare.
The most delicate part is the cooking; since it’s long and slow (the only way to ensure the meat is perfectly tender), there’s a risk that if we’re not careful, everything will burn. So, keep a close eye on the pot and stir occasionally to prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom.
Before cooking it with the broth and white grape juice, you should sear the osso buco in a pan with a little butter, having previously coated it in flour, so that it retains all its juices inside, making it much more tender and flavorful.
Ingredients
- 8 slices of veal osso buco
- ½ Onion
- 60 grams of butter
- ½ cup white grape juice
- 1.5 cups of beef broth
- 1 cup of flour
- 1 Clove of Garlic
- 1 sprig of parsley
- ½ Lemon
- Black pepper
- Salt
Step by Step Instructions
1. Coat the meat in flour
Make a few cuts along the edges of the ossobuco pieces to prevent them from shrinking during cooking. Wash them and pat them dry with paper towels. Season them with salt and pepper, dredge them in the flour on a plate, and gently shake off the excess.
2. Sauté the onion
Heat the beef broth until it just begins to boil. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onion. Melt half the butter in a large skillet and add the onion. Season and sauté for 7 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain, and set aside.
3. Dora the osso buco
Add the rest of the butter to the casserole dish and brown the ossobuco pieces in it, in batches if necessary, for 2 minutes on each side.
4. Pour white grape juice over it and cook together.
Put everything in the casserole dish, add the onion, and pour in the white grape juice. Continue cooking over high heat until the liquid has reduced slightly, then add the hot stock and cover. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. If necessary, thin the sauce by adding a little hot water.
5. Add garlic and parsley
Wash the lemon, dry it, finely grate the zest, and place it in a bowl. Peel the garlic clove and wash the parsley. Finely chop both and add them to the bowl. Adjust the seasoning of the stew if necessary, sprinkle it with the aromatic mixture, and continue cooking for 5 minutes, gently shaking the pan to prevent sticking. Cover the pan and let it rest for a couple of minutes.
6. Serve piping hot
Divide the osso buco among the plates, cover them with their sauce and serve them immediately, piping hot.
Tips for making the osso buco perfect
- Ossobuco is a traditional meat stew whose recipe can vary from household to household, as is common. Some details may change, but a very common addition in many traditional recipes is to add cloves to the stew, which must be removed later because they are inedible.
- Pre – sealing the meat is essential, so coat the piece in flour and sear it over high heat in the pan. We used butter in our recipe, but you can also sear it in olive oil.
- Patience is key in this stew; you can choose to cook it on low heat for about two hours or in the oven at 150 degrees.
- Be careful that the marrow doesn’t leak out of the bone ; it’s one of the treasures of this succulent dish. Stir gently to prevent it from escaping during cooking.
- And if you enjoyed your classic osso buco Milanese, we suggest trying a different recipe another day: osso buco in mushroom sauce. It’s also served with potatoes, and you can use seasonal mushrooms, or add dried and rehydrated or frozen ones. It’s delicious too.
- Like all good stews, it’s best to let it rest. The flavors meld and it’s even tastier the next day. That said, the osso buco Milanese with its delicious sauce should be served piping hot. Enjoy!