Traditionally Osso Buco is made with veal shanks, a cut of meat that can get a bit pricey, especially for a casual dinner. Since I had an abundance of beef shanks, I decided to use it as a substitute in my Osso Buco.
Shanks are a tough cut of meat, so it is meant for braising & slow cooking (or if you are trying to be ghetto, slice it thin, and give it a quick stir fry). So this recipe took quite some time. At least 2 hours of simmering time, if not more, to your taste I suppose. This recipe would be best if you’re cooking it ahead of time, or if you’re having a lazy Sunday.
I was quite happy with the results, it smelled delicious while shimmering. Keep in mind that this tastes even better as leftovers! Osso Buco is traditionally eaten with risotto – or even mashed potatoes/polenta, but what kind of asian would I be if I didn’t eat it with some jasmine rice? =)
Beef Shank Osso Buco
2 beef shanks (10 oz each)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 rib celery, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
8-10 cloves (optional)
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 cup of chicken stock
1 cup of dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
salt & pepper
optional: gremolata
used as a condiment with the meal, and really brings out the hidden flavors – recommended!
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1) Sear the shanks. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in pot in medium high heat. While the pot is heating up, pat the shanks dry with a paper towel to soak up any moisture. Season with salt & pepper. When the oil is shimmering, add the shanks. Turn heat to medium and brown the shanks about 5 minutes on each side. (Leaving the meat the sear on each side for 5 minutes at a time allows the meat to brown nicely, don’t get figity and keep flipping!) Once the meat looks like the picture above, remove the shanks from pot.
2) Mirepoix & Making the Sauce. Using the brown bits left from searing the shanks, add the diced onions, carrots, and celery (aka Mirepoix, the holy trinity in French cooking that makes this dish so delicious) to the pot in medium heat. Cook until it softens, and then add the minced garlic. Cook for 30 more seconds and add the wine and broth, while scraping anything that collects at the bottom. After it begins heating back up, add the tomato paste, bay leaf and cloves (optional).
3) Shimmer & Serve. Once the sauce begins to boil, gently place (no splashes!) the browned shanks back into the pot. Make sure to spoon some sauce over the shanks as it cooks! I left my shanks at a low heat on the stovetop, but I’m sure you can easily cook this in the oven, or maybe even throw it into a crockpot!
Cook until the meat is tender, but still a little chewy. This took me about 3-4 hours to get it at this consistency. Serve with gremolata for extra deliciousness. This tastes even better overnight!
If I were to cook this again, I would cook it in a smaller pot, as you can see, my sauce didn’t really cover my shanks that well, and I ended up having to add extra liquid to my dish. Enjoy!!
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