Osso Buco

April 16, 2006

They say Melbourne weather can deliver four seasons in the one day but there hasn’t been a great deal of summer in the air recently. The autumn chill predominates and salads take a back seat to more substantial fare.

It’s time to stop buying barbecue cuts and start thinking slow braises.

One of the butchers at my local market in South Melbourne had some nice thick crosscut veal shanks with my name on them the other day. “Buy me!” they shouted from the display. It was time for osso buco, a hearty Italian dish made from veal shank slices braised with vegetables, aromatics and stock.

Osso buco literally translates as “bone hole” and it’s the bone marrow that nestles in the hollow bone that makes this dish a favourite with many.

The dish is traditionally garnished with gremolata which is made from lemon peel, parsley and garlic. This adds a nice zing to the rich meatiness. You can serve it with a saffron risotto or on a vegetable mash.

If you are unable to source ready-cut veal shanks, lamb shanks can be substituted.

Before I start cooking this dish, I like to snip or slash the tissue round the circumference of the raw meat slices as this tends to contract when the meat is browned and the slices start to bulge unevenly.

Osso Buco alla Milanese

6 crosscut veal shanks (5cm thick)
1/2 cup flour
salt
pepper
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 carrots, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
4 tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped
250ml white wine
250ml chicken stock
2 tablespoons parsley
2 bayleaves

Gremolata:
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1 cloves finely chopped garlic
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Mix together the flour, salt and pepper then dredge each piece of meat in the flour, shaking off any excess. Heat the oil and butter in a pan and brown the meat. Remove the meat and place in an ovenproof casserole.

Add the carrot, onion, red pepper and celery to the oil/butter mix and cook over a medium heat till softened. Add to the casserole. Deglaze the pan with the wine and pour this, together with the stock over the meat and vegetables. Add the parsley and bayleaves. Cover and place the casserole in a pre-heated 160C oven and cook for 1 1/2-2 hours until the veal is tender. Remove the lid for the last 15 minutes of cooking to reduce the sauce a little.

Mix together the gremolata ingredients and sprinkle over the finished dish. Serve with saffron risotto or potato mash.

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