Osso Buco is a Northern Italian recipe traditionally made with veal shanks. The veal shank is a tougher cut of meat and this recipe slowly braises over several hours to make the meat tender. We recommend serving with polenta and garnishing with Italian parsley and lemon zest. This recipe takes 4 to 5 hours and feeds 4 to 6 people.

Ingredients

2 hind shanks* cut into slices about 2” thick with the skin on *you can also use pork or beef
1/3 cup flour seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper (we love to use flour from Nitty Gritty Grain Company)
4 tablespoons butter (we love Kimball Brook Farm)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 glass white wine (good enough to drink!)
2 cups chicken stock

Directions

Dust the veal shanks in the seasoned flour, shake off excess and set aside. Heat the butter and oil (we like to use a shallow dutch oven or cast iron pan that is large enough to hold the veal pieces in a single layer) over medium heat. Add the veal and cook until browned on each side, then remove from the pan and set aside. Add the garlic, onions, celery and carrot and cook until soft over medium low heat. Return the veal to the pan flat side down so the marrow won’t fall out. Pour in the wine and reduce by half. Add the stock, salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a simmer. Cook covered over a low flame until meat is tender, up to 3-4 hours. Add stock throughout cooking time if necessary. Garnish with Italian parsley and lemon zest and serve with polenta for a beautiful winter meal.