Growing Chefs! Ontario Osso Bucco

Osso Bucco

Named after the bone marrow that flavours the cooking liquid, this classic Italian dish of braised veal shanks is fall-off-the bone delicious.“
Difficulty
Advanced
Yield
Serves 3

Bouquet Garni

Ingredients
1 sprig rosemary1 sprig thyme1 bay leaf2 cloves Cheesecloth, cut into squares Kitchen twine, for bouquet garni, and tying veal shanks

Veal

Ingredients
3 whole veal shanks (about 1 lb per shank), trimmed Salt to taste Freshly ground black pepper to taste All purpose flour, for dredging

Braising Stock and Garnish

Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil1 small onion, diced into ½ inch cubes1 small carrot, diced into ½ inch cubes1 stalk celery, diced into ½ inch cubes1 tablespoon tomato paste1 cup dry white wine3 cups chicken stock3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped1 tablespoon lemon zest Salt to taste
Equipment
Measuring cupsMeasuring spoonsCutting boardSafe Chopper or knifeScissorsRaspPeelerMixing bowls of various sizesDutch oven or large potTongsDish clothTasting spoons

Get Organized!

Gather your mise en place; get together all of the equipment needed for the recipe and gather your ingredients.

Get Prepped!

Place rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and clove into the cheesecloth. Gather the cheesecloth and tie twine to secure seasonings inside. This is your bouquet garni.

Measure the olive oil into a small dish and set aside.

Slice the onion in half from the root to the tip and peel off the outer skin. Then, place the flat side down on the cutting board and slice horizontally from the tip to the root, leaving the root intact to hold the slices together. Slice vertically to dice the onion into small pieces.

Use a peeler to remove the peel of the carrot and cut off the top and end. Chop the carrot into 2 – 3 smaller pieces. Cut each smaller piece in half lengthwise to create a flat edge. Dice the carrot into ½‑inch cubes.

Remove the leaves and root-end of the celery with a safe chopper or knife. Dice celery into ½ inch cubes.

Remove parsley leaves from the stem and chop into small pieces with scissors or a knife.

Zest the lemon using a rasp.

Clean the veal shanks by cutting off excess fat with a knife. Pat dry with a paper dowel. Tie twine around meat to secure it to the bone. Season the meat with salt and pepper.

Pour flour into a shallow dish. Dredge the veal by placing it into the flour, ensuring all sides are coated.

Measure tomato paste, white wine, chicken stock into separate bowls and set aside.

Get Cooking!

Place the Dutch oven onto medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and heat until smoking. Place the prepared veal shanks into the pan. Sear the veal by cooking for about 3 minutes on all sides. Once all sides are browned, remove from the pot and set aside.

Add the onion, carrot, and celery into the same Dutch oven. Season with salt and saute until vegetables are soft and onion is translucent.

Add tomato paste to the vegetables and stir well. Add the veal shanks back into the pan and pour in white wine. Continue cooking over medium-high heat until the liquid reduces to half the volume.

Place the bouquet garni into the pot. Add in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Place the lid onto the Dutch oven and turn the burner on low heat. Simmer until the meat falls away from the bone (about 1 ½ hours), occasionally turning the veal shanks. You may need to add more chicken stock to keep the shanks ¾ covered with liquid.

Use tongs to remove the completely cooked shanks from the Dutch oven. Cut off the kitchen twine and set meat into the serving dish. Take the bouquet garni out of the pot and discard. Pour cooking liquid onto the shanks and garnish with parsley and lemon zest.