Osso Buco
Serves 6
For a great dish for an intimate dinner party, Osso Buco is hard to beat — veal is always elegant, but this slow easy braise is mostly complete well in advance and requires little last-minute fiddling. The tomato, fennel, and citrus zests keep this sauce fragrant and bright-tasting. Serve this over mashed potatoes, steamed rice, or a plain risotto.
If you can reserve some of the fennel fronds, mince them to use as a garnish on the final dish.
Ingredients #
- 4 meaty veal shanks (1 1/2 - 2 inches thick)
- Flour for dredging
- Olive oil
- 1 large or 2 small onions, sliced thin
- 2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, sliced
- 1 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
- 2 cups good veal stock or chicken stock
- 1 cup canned peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried fines herbes (optional)
- Zest of one naval orange
- Zest of one lemon
Instructions #
Preheat oven to 325F, with the racks arranged to accommodate a heavy casserole (Dutch oven) with its lid on.
Lay the meat on a tray or large sheet of waxed paper. Salt and pepper thoroughly on all sides, and dredge in 1/2 cup or so of flour, shaking off the excess. Pour 1/8” olive oil into the bottom of heavy casserole and heat over moderately high heat until it just begins to smoke. Add the meat, browning it carefully on all sides. Remove to a plate when browned.
Pour off the cooking oil and add a couple tablespoons of fresh oil. Return to the heat and add the sliced onions, carrots and fennel. Salt lightly, and sauté, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the wine and deglaze the entire pot by scraping along the bottom and sides with a wooden spoon until all the brown bits are dissolved in the liquid. Add the stock, tomatoes, and garlic. Bring to a simmer. Stir in the herbs and citrus zests.
Nestle the shanks in the simmering liquid, returning any accumulated juices to the pot. Cover with the lid and braise in the preheated oven for about 1 1/2 hours. You’ll want to start checking after an hour, though — the meat should be tender and succulent, but not so soft that it falls off the shank bones.
The dish can be served just as it is, but I like to remove the shanks to a plate, skim any excess fat off the liquid, and then simmer it quickly for a few minutes to thicken it a bit. Serve one shank per person, surrounded with vegetables and sauce from the pot.