Osso buco is a traditional slow cooked Italian dish. You traditionally use veal shank but this beef osso buco is made in the same way with a cut you may find more easily (and cheaper). It has the same delicious meltingly tender meat and bright gremolata finish. Perfect comfort food.
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One thing I love about the weather getting colder is comfort food. Maybe its partly because I grew up somewhere with generally rubbish weather, or maybe its just a preference, but I somehow feel I have more go-to recipes for cold weather than warm. Soups, braises and roasts are definitely my game.
This is one that has been on my list to make for ever but has only entered our rotation more recently. In many ways, its not so different from the likes of braised lamb shanks or any other braised meat, but there is a key difference: gremolata, which Ill explain a bit more below.
Osso Bucco is from a beef shank which is a cross-cut of meat that comes from the lower leg of the cow. Beef Osso Busso also contains a bone with marrow in the center. While you can make Osso Bucco with either veal or beef, it is more common to use beef because it is widely available and less expensive than veal.
How to serve this dish
First, you cant forget the gremolata on top of this as its really a core part of the dish. The topping of parsley, lemon zest and garlic might seem an unusual combination and not a whole lot, but it really does add that something special.
The freshness of the parsley and lemon in particular really cuts through the richness of the meat. It works perfectly to both lift the flavors and make it that bit easier to eat.
Secondly, the classic accompaniment to this dish is risotto alla Milanese, which is essentially a variation on saffron risotto with bone marrow in it. Whether you go completely traditional, or make my saffron risotto, both are a wonderful pairing with this.
If you are not quite up for making risotto, some mashed potato, polenta or small pasta like orzo would also work well. Having something that can soak some of the delicious braising sauce is definitely worthwhile.
While it may not be completely traditional, I also like to have some green veg of some kind with this to balance out all the richness. Green beans are a favorite, but you could also have some sautéed spinach or chard.
Beef osso buco is a slightly richer version of the veal original, but with all the best qualities. The meat becomes meltingly tender, the wine-based sauce is packed with flavor. The gremolata on top adds that vibrant burst of freshness, just as it does color, to complete this wonderfully comforting meal.
Every now and again, we get some surprises with beef. This Osso Bucco recipe is an example of one of those surprises.
Osso Bucco is a traditional Italian dish (Milanese if you want to be really precise). The phrase “Osso Bucco” is Italian for “bone with a hole”, and that’s exactly what it looks like. A piece of meat with a bone in the middle. When I first saw it, it reminded me of a meat donut. LOL – I think that confirms I’m definitely not from Italy!
I hate to admit it, but we had never heard of “Osso Bucco” until we had some beef processed and one of the cuts we got back was labeled “Osso Bucco.” I asked the butcher what it was, and he said it’s a traditional Italian dish and the cut of beef is from the shank. He promised we would love it, and he was right.
In Italy, this dish is prepared with veal, but it can also be made with other cuts. Our Osso Bucco beef cut isn’t veal — we don’t butcher cows until their much older — but the cut of meat is still similar since it’s cross-cut of beef from the shank.
I’ve researched lots of Osso Bucco recipes and have learned that many of them can take all-day to make because they’re made in the oven and you have to check it regularly. That’s why I got really excited when I discovered this Osso Bucco recipe from finecooking.com. It uses a crock pot to help braise the meat.
The Famous Italian OSSO BUCO – for Family or Holiday Dinner. Recipe by Always Yummy!
FAQ
Is osso bucco beef or veal?
What kind of cut is osso bucco?
What meat is similar to osso buco?
Is osso bucco tough meat?