Beef Nachos are a quick and tasty dish of tortilla chops with a topping of…
Easy Beef Osso Buco Recipe
Wondering what to make with beef osso buco? This easy Beef Osso Buco Recipe is your answer! Meltingly soft beef enhanced by a flavour-packed tomato sauce it is the perfect comfort food. Easy to prep and a real crowd pleaser.
Osso Buco is an Italian dish which originates from Milan. It is a mouthwateringly savoury beef dish with vegetables slow cooked in a tomato sauce which makes an intense flavour, not to be missed. It is perfect for dinner parties, it looks like you have made an effort but it is really easy to make.
The gremolata topping is traditional in Milan and adds a burst of flavour to the plate.
If you are looking for a dish that is perfect for Autumn, beef osso buco is well worth a try.
- What Cut of Meat is Beef Osso Buco?
- What Does Osso Buco Translate to?
- Do I Eat the Bone Marrow?
- Beef Osso Buco Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Beef Osso Bucco
- Beef Osso Buco Recipe Adaptations
- How do I Know When it is Done?
- What Should I Serve With it?
- Can I Make it in Advance?
- How Do I Reheat it?
- Can I Make it in a Slow Cooker?
- Can I Freeze it?
- Beef Osso Buco Recipe
- Beef Osso Buco Recipe
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What Cut of Meat is Beef Osso Buco?
Beef osso buco is a beef shank or the top of the shin. It is a cut with a higher proportion of bone to meat which helps create the distinctive flavour. During the cooking process, the bone marrow melts down helping to create the signature flavour of the dish.
It is not easy to find beef shanks in the supermarket, but you should be able to find them at good butchers. I sourced mine from Swaledale Online Butchers.
What Does Osso Buco Translate to?
This dish (sometimes written as osso bucco) is from Northern Italy, from the Milan area in Lombardy.
Osso Buco, in Italian, means hole of bone, referring to the round rings of bone in the middle of the cut of beef.
The northeast region of Italy gets chilly in winter and this is the perfect dish to keep you warm.
Do I Eat the Bone Marrow?
Most of the marrow will melt during cooking and add to the flavour of the dish. In Milan, they use a special long-handled spoon, called an esattore to scoop the marrow from the bone.
It is not obligatory to eat the marrow, that is up to you.
Beef Osso Buco Recipe Ingredients
For the Osso Buco
- Beef Osso Buco – beef shanks on the bone
- Carrot and celery stick – these are chopped finely
- Medium onion – again this is chopped and adds flavour to the sauce
- Tin of tomatoes
- Dry white wine and chicken stock – these make the sauce
- Plain Flour – coat the beef in this before frying and it helps to thicken the sauce.
- Butter and oil – this is for browning the beef
- Bay leaf – for flavour
For the Gremolata Topping
This is not essential but sprinkling this topping on the final dish gives it a lovely tang.
- Lemon – only the zest is used. Why not slice the rest of the lemon into slices and freeze for adding to drinks?
- Garlic – one clove
- Parsley – chopped up.
How to Make Beef Osso Bucco
The great thing about this dish it is really easy to prepare. Don’t forget to scroll down to get the printable recipe card.
- Season and dust with flour. Dry the shanks and season with salt and pepper. Dust with plain flour on both sides and shake off the excess. This ensures the meat will brown well. The flour also helps the sauce thicken.
- Brown the beef shanks. Searing the meat before cooking will caramelize the surface of the meat, giving it an extra depth of flavour. Use high heat and a heavy or cast iron cooking pot. Leave the meat to get a good sear before turning.
If you are cooking a few shanks, brown them in batches so they are not overcrowded in the pan.
Once they are brown remove them from the pan and set them aside.
- Peel and chop the onions, and carrots then dice the celery. Soften the vegetables in the same pan you used to cook the meat. Take your time softening the vegetables as this helps bring out their natural sweetness.
- Add and reduce the wine then add the stock and herbs.
- Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Put the shanks back in the pan and simmer slowly on low heat with the lid on the pan. You may need to turn the meat part way through cooking. If the liquid looks a little dry add some water.
The shanks do need to cook slowly for a long time as this allows the connective tissue in the meat to break down and for the meat to become tender. They should simmer for a couple of hours.
Beef Osso Buco Recipe Adaptations
This recipe uses beef shank, traditionally a veal shank is used. The beef works really well and allows a few adaptations to the recipe.
You could swap the white wine for red wine if you prefer. Also, you could use beef stock instead of chicken stock if that is what you have in. The beef is less likely to get overpowered by other flavours.
How do I Know When it is Done?
You will know when the beef osso buco is done as the meat will be tender and falling off the bone
What Should I Serve With it?
A core part of the dish is the gremolata topping which is sprinkled over the dish. This is a topping of lemon zest, minced garlic and chopped parsley. It sounds strange but it really lifts the flavour of the dish and adds a little zesty tang.
If you want to get traditional then you can make Risotto Alla Milanese to serve with this dish. I like to serve it with creamy mashed potato. Rice would also work really well.
Can I Make it in Advance?
This braised dish is even tastier the next day, so it is great to make in advance. When it is ready, allow it to cool completely and refrigerate in an air-tight box.
How Do I Reheat it?
Remove any solidified fat before reheating. Add the dish back into a heavy pan and heat gently until they are heated through. You may need to add a little stock or water if the sauce looks dry.
Can I Make it in a Slow Cooker?
Yes, of course, you can. Once you have browned the meat, softened the vegetables and added the sauce ingredients, leave the dish to cook in a slow cooker until the meat is tender.
Can I Freeze it?
Yes, it freezes well. Just ensure it is cold before adding it to an airtight bag and putting it in the freezer.
Beef Osso Buco Recipe
Beef Osso Buco Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Cast Iron Pan
- Wooden spoon
- Sharp knife
- Plate
Ingredients
Beef Osso Buco
- 4 pieces beef osso buco
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp sugar
- salt and pepper
- 30g butter
- 1 medium onion
- 1 celery stick
- 1 carrot
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 125 ml dry white wine
- 300 ml chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
Gremolata Topping
- 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 clove garlic
Instructions
Beef Osso Buco
- Pat the shanks with kitchen paper. Season both sides of the beef with salt and pepper.
- Toss the beef in the flour until they are lightly covered on both sides. Shake off the excess.
- Heat the butter and oil in a heavy-lidded pan. When the oil is hot sear the beef in until brown on both sides. Set aside on a plate.
- Finely chop onions, carrot and celery. Add to pan and fry for about three minutes until softened. The onion should be translucent.
- Add wine to the pan and bring to a simmer. Allow it to reduce by half and then add the stock.
- Add tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper and sugar.
- Bring to a simmer and add the meat back into the pan.
- Reduce heat and cook on a slow simmer for an hour and a half. Cover the pan and turn the shin pieces halfway through cooking. After an hour and a half the meat should be tender, if not cook a little longer.
- Remove the lid from the pan and simmer for about thirty minutes to reduce the sauce. If the sauce looks dry add a little water.
Gremolata Topping
- Zest a lemon.
- Peel and chop one garlic clove finely
- Finely chop the parsley
- Mix the ingredients together and sprinkle on top of the finished dish.
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