Ossobuco alla Milanese
Veal shanks braised in white wine and broth until the meat slumps from the bone and the marrow turns to butter. Finished with gremolata — raw lemon zest, parsley, and garlic — that cuts through the richness like a window thrown open.
Ingredients
- veal shanks, cross-cut, 4 cm thick4 pieces (about 1.2 kg)
- all-purpose flour3 tbsp
- olive oil3 tbsp
- unsalted butter30 g
- yellow onion, finely diced1
- carrot, finely diced1
- celery stalk, finely diced1
- dry white wine250 ml
- veal or chicken stock500 ml
- bay leaf1
- lemon, zested1
- flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped3 tbsp
- garlic clove, minced1
- kitchen twineas needed
Steps
Tie shanks with kitchen twine.
Tie each shank around its equator with kitchen twine so the meat stays wrapped around the bone during the braise.
Pat dry, season, and dredge shanks.
Pat the shanks dry, season hard with salt, and dredge in flour, knocking off excess.
Brown the shanks deeply.
Heat olive oil and butter in a heavy Dutch oven and brown the shanks deeply on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Sweat vegetables in the fond.
Lower the heat and sweat the onion, carrot, and celery in the fond until soft and barely golden, about 10 minutes.
Add wine, stock, and shanks to pot.
Pour in the wine, scraping up the fond, and reduce by half. Add stock and bay leaf, return shanks bone-up to the pot, and bring to a quiet simmer.
Braise shanks in oven for 2 hours.
Cover and braise in a 160C/325F oven for 2 hours, basting once, until a knife slides through the meat with no resistance and the marrow is jiggling.
Make gremolata and serve.
Snip the twine off each shank. Stir together lemon zest, parsley, and garlic for gremolata and shower over the top just before serving.
Nutrition, per serving. 430 calories. Protein 44 grams, 42 percent. Carbs 10.5 grams, 10 percent. Fat 22 grams, 48 percent. Fiber 2 grams, sugar 4 grams, saturated fat 6 grams, sodium 450 milligrams. Estimated from ingredients.
