Ossobuco (Osso Buco) in Bianco alla Milanese with Gremolata

Braised dishes are my all-time favorite bunker-down, snuggle-up fare.

Even with April coming next week, it’s still raining (well, look at that... it's actually snowing right now!), a touch chilly and deliciously gray outside, so I’m pushing the season’s culinary parameters and still braising things. (Of course, I smirk every once in a while in a feigned attempt to hide my unpopular rain fetish.)

Osso buco/ossobuco, originally from Milan, Lombardy, is a classic dish of veal shanks braised in wine, vegetables and stock until the meat is meltingly tender and falls off the bone with very little persuasion. The literal meaning of ossobuco is ‘hole in the bone,’ signifying the hole left in the bone after the diner joyfully scoops out and sucks down the marrow. The original version of oss bus (as the locals say) was seasoned with cinnamon, allspice & bay, garnished with gremolata (lemon zest, parsley & garlic), and traditionally & perfectly paired with Risotto alla Milanese (creamy rice subtly perfumed with saffron, Parmesan and pats upon pats of really good butter).

The modern version, the one found nearly everywhere, incorporates tomatoes (not introduced to Italy until the late 19th century), which give the dish a richer flavor, thus screaming out for a ballsier accoutrement such as polenta. Then there are the hybrids (or artistic bastardizations, if you will) - ossi buchi with tomatoes, but still garnished with gremolata, those with tomatoes still ladled on risotto Milanese, those served with grits, etc. I even ran across a recipe incorporating anchovy (delicious in many Italian braises). And further still, creations using beef or lamb shanks and being morally opposed to veal. I’m not knocking creativity (or PETA) by any means; necessity is the mother of invention. Without peasants having unusable meat scraps and little else, we wouldn’t have ossobuco in all its deliciously artistic bastardizations.

Here's my attempt at a traditional version - white wine & traditional spices, hence the "in bianco":

Ossobuco in Bianco alla Milanese with Gremolata
serves 4

4 veal shanks, about a pound each
kosher salt & pepper
3 tablespoons. extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
3 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken or beef stock
Gremolata for garnish, recipe follows

Season veal with salt & pepper. Heat saute pan over medium heat; pour in oil. Saute veal shanks on each side until golden brown; remove from pan and set aside.

Discard any excess fat remaining in pan. Return pan to stovetop & melt butter.

Add vegetables, thyme and bay leaf; saute until vegetables are soft and golden.

Add allspice and cinnamon; stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Deglaze pan with wine; slowly reduce until liquid is almost evaporated. Pour in stock and bring to boil.

Reduce heat to low, place veal in simmering stock, cover tightly and continue to cook over low heat or in 300° oven until meat is tender and falls off the bone with little resistance, about 2 1/2 hours.

Side Note: the proper amount of braising liquid should come about halfway up the sides of veal; if the veal is nearly immersed, remove it from the pan and simmer the liquid until it’s reduced to the correct volume.

Side Side Note: Braising liquid should barely simmer throughout the entire cooking process, so check it often and adjust the stove or oven temperature. If it boils hard, the meat will be very dry and no amount of liquid added to it will save your guests from choking it down.

Remove veal from braising liquid and set aside. At this point, liquid can be strained of vegetables and herbs for a more refined dish if desired. On stovetop over medium-high heat bring braising liquid to a boil. Reduce to the desired consistency and season to taste with salt, pepper, or a little red wine vinegar or lemon juice. Place veal back into pan, sprinkle gremolata over the dish and serve with Risotto alla Milanese.

Side Side Side Note: Braised meats and sauces freeze beautifully - either together (you know, stew) or separately.

Gremolata
1/3 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, finely minced

Combine ingredients & sprinkle over osso buco.

Comments

[Tim Spence]

Hello! I just tried posting a comment to your Osso Bucco in Bianco post but got some sort of silly error. Here are the goods:

I found your post months ago while (very bored and) reading up on the history of Osso Bucco. Saw a great deal on some veal shanks yesterday and flashed back to this recipe.

Patience was difficult in the kitchen tonight. That was the longest 2 1/2 hours of my life, being tortured by the aroma as I tried, in vain, to do some work in the other room. It was well worth the wait, as the veal was fork tender and infused with seasoning. I just put away the leftovers and I am still reeling from this incredible dish. Seriously, it is almost bedtime and I don't want to brush my teeth and lose the wonderful aftertaste.

In bianco is so much better than the tomato-ey standard. Mille grazie for your research and your excellent recipe.

[Kim]

HAHAHAHA - very entertaining! Thanks for the kind words.