I know what you’re thinking: that is one high-falutin’ recipe title right there. It sounds like something Frasier & Niles might eat and something you straight can’t afford. (I’ve neglected Frasier references for some time now, and as a Cheers cast member and spin-off star in his own right, that simply has to be remedied.)
In any case, I bought osso buco – Italian for “bone with a hole” – from the friendly Newman Farm folks at the Memphis Farmers Market, and I had absolutely no idea what it was. (I was aiming for pork belly, but the smallest portion they had was 11 pounds, and even on my fattest of days I might lose the battle against that much pork.)
The Chef later informed me that osso buco is simply a veal shank, meaning baby cow’s leg (which is obviously super sad but also pretty delicious – sorry PETA!). We braised this sucker for 3 hours, and it eventually fell right off the bone like the books say. Moo!
Osso Buco
2 lbs veal shanks
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
1 cup white wine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup of beef or chicken stock
1 can of chopped tomatoes with juice
2 strips of orange zest
salt and pepper
few sprigs of fresh thyme
Citrus Gremolata
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp grated orange zest
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Season shanks with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over high heat. Brown shanks on all sides.
- Remove shanks and add veggies. Saute until well carmelized. Then add tomatoes, stock, thyme, bay leaf, orange zest, and garlic.
- Place shanks back in the dutch oven and bring to a simmer. Then cover and place in oven for 3.5 hours.
- Once shanks are pulling away from the bone, remove and puree sauce for a thicker texture.
- Top with sauce then gremolata. (The Chef cautions you not to skip this step because the gremolata really brightens up this dish.)
- Serve with Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes and Sauteed Squash, Zucchini & Red Pepper.