Italy / Bread
Ossobuco Alla Milanese
Ossobuco, when loosely translated from Italian, means hollowed bone; a reference to the large piece of marrow in the center of the veal shank bone. It's a Milanese speciality of veal shanks cooked in meat broth and flavored with white wine. Slowly braised, this relatively tough, yet flavorful cut of meat becomes meltingly tender, and the connective tissues and marrow dissolve into the sauce, making it rich and creamy. The shank is a relatively cheap cut of veal which is readily available in most good supermarkets and butcher shops. Look for meaty hind-shanks cut from the top of the thigh with a high proportion of meat to bone. Each piece should be about five inches across and one-inch to one-and-a-half inches thick. This dish probably had its origins in a Milanese farmhouse during the late nineteenth century and most likely did not originally include tomatoes, a New World vegetable. Ossobuco first became popular in the osterie of Milan, which were neighborhood restaurants of Italy's large cities. These catered to the neighborhood's local residents but rarely if ever to tourists and foreigners. Traditional ossobuco was prepared with cinnamon, allspice, bay leaf and gremolata and…
Ingredients
- veal hind shank, about 2.5–4 cm (1–1 1/2 inches) thick; hind shank4 slice
- onion, medium; chopped fine1
- celery with leaves, with leaves; chopped fine3 rib
- carrot, medium; chopped fine1
- garlic, minced2 clove
- butter3 tbsp
- vegetable oil4 tbsp
- dry white wine or white vermouth, 1 cup; dry; or white vermouth240 ml
- meat broth, about; 2 cups480 ml
- tomato paste3 tbsp
- anchovy fillets, mashed6 fillet
- thyme, dried1/2 tsp
- bay leaves2–3 leaf
- lemon peel2 strip
- salt
- pepper, freshly ground
- flour
Quantities are auto-calculated from the original recipe as a guide. Items without numbers (e.g. “to taste”) are not changed.
Method 8 steps
Preheat oven to .
If the butcher has not done so, tie the shanks around the middle with kitchen twine; this will keep them from falling apart during cooking.
Choose a heavy, covered roasting pan or Dutch oven which will just accommodate the veal shanks in one layer. Put the butter, two tablespoons of the oil, the onions, celery and carrots in the pan and sweat over medium heat until the vegetables have wilted—about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and lemon peel and sweat until they're fragrant, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a skillet until it is near the smoking point. Lightly flour the veal shanks and slip them into the oil. Richly brown the shanks on both of the cut sides, then place them in the roasting pan on top of the vegetables.
Place the wine in the skillet and boil until reduced by one-half, deglazing the bottom of the pan. Pour this over the veal shanks.
Heat the beef broth to a boil in the skillet, whisking in the tomato paste and anchovies. Add this to the veal shanks, along with the herbs, several grindings of pepper, and a large pinch of salt. The liquid should cover three quarters of the shanks. If not, add extra water.
Bring the pot to a simmer, cover, and place in the oven. Cook for approximately 2 hours, turning and basting the shanks every half hour. If you notice that the cooking liquids have nearly evaporated, add hot water, about one half cup at a time. The veal is done when it is fork tender and falling from the bone.
Transfer the shanks to a platter, remove the strings, and cover to keep warm. If the sauce seems watery, as is probable, place the pan on the stove top over high heat and reduce the cooking liquid until the sauce has a thick, creamy consistency. Pour the sauce over the shanks and serve.
