Beef Osso Buco
Osso buco is comfort food at its best! A long braise makes the meat wonderfully tender, and the depth of flavor is unmatched. It's perfect for date nights in or intimate dinner parties!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 474kcal
Equipment
- 5-7 quart Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 4 beef osso buco about 3 pounds (beef shanks)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
For the Gremolata
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325°F. Season the shanks with the salt and pepper, then dust all over with the flour.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the shanks for about 4 minutes per side, until browned, then move them to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook 3 to 4 minutes, then stir in 3 cloves of the garlic and the tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
- Pour in the wine and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, broth, and thyme, then return the shanks to the pot and bring to a simmer.
- Cover and bake 2 to 2 ½ hours, until the meat is fork-tender (check at 2 hours).
- Stir together the lemon zest, parsley, and remaining garlic clove. Spoon over the shanks and serve.
Notes
- I use a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. If you'd rather skip the wine, just use another cup of chicken broth instead.
- Beef broth works in place of the chicken broth too if that's what you have on hand.
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme work in place of the dried; just pull the stems out before serving.
- Don't wipe out your pan before adding the broth; scraping those browned bits of meat into the sauce (called deglazing) adds a ton of flavor.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for 4 days and freeze for up to 3 months. Make sure they are properly cooled and stored in an airtight container.