Osso Bucco

Osso
Life is all about accessories.  Be the perfect accessory to complete an outfit, the perfect app or the right pot to cook with.  It makes a huge difference. 

Our beach house is missing an essential pot, a Le Cruset (dutch oven) for slow cooking.  Any slow cooking done out here is generally done on the grill during the summer.  I didn't realize it until we brought the ingredients for osso bucco home this afternoon.  The good news is that I have an extra one in the city that will be making an essential move to the beach on the next ride out.  The bad news is, I had to be creative on this one.

I found the largest and deepest pan I had that could fit in the oven. Unfortunately, the pan had to be covered with tin foil because I did not have a lid.  There was also so much liquid in the pan that I needed to let the osso bucco hang out on the stove for a bit with the tin foil as a make shift lid.  It wasn't working for me, so once the liquid got below the level where I knew I would end up spilling the entire thing on the floor, I moved it to the oven.  The sauce was a tad thick, the veal was like butter but all and all, not my best.  Regardless, I do like the recipe and am sure it will work perfectly fine if I went about it the way you are supposed to.

Osso Buco for 4

4 large veal shanks
4 ounces of pancetta, chopped
1/2 cup flour, salt and pepper
1 onion chopped
1 large carrot chopped
1 stalk of celery chopped
one lemon's zest
2 cups of beef broth
2 cups of white wine
28 ounces chopped tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 sprig thyme and 1 sprig rosemary
Spice pouch or cheesecloth

Preheat oven to 350.

In a dutch oven, heat the pot on the stove and toss in the pancetta.  Let the pancetta cook at a medium heat until crispy.  Take it out with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Leave the fat it created in the pot.

Dip the veal chops into the flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper.  Brown the sides in the dutch oven.  You might need to add a little bit more olive oil to the pot before doing that if the pancetta did not create a lot of fat.  Once they are browned, set aside

Put the onion, carrot, celery and lemon in the pot and saute until soft and just starting to brown.  Then add in the liquids and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and then simmer.  Everything should be completely mixed up.

Add the veal, the pancetta and the herbs.  Put the herbs in a spice pouch so it is easy to take out in the end.  I prefer it instead of having herbs mixed all over the place.

Put this in the oven at 350 for about 2 hours or until the veal is literally coming off the bone.  Serve on top of polenta. 

Comments (Archived):

  1. ErikSchwartz

    The pancetta is a nice touch. I usually don’t bother to dredge in flour, I just salt and pepper the the shanks and sear the meat really hard and that sets up a nice crust.I’ve been on a huge braising kick. Another similar recipe is essentially the osso bucco preparation, but use lamb shanks (and red wine).

  2. cookiemoo

    My mouth is watering! They look delish! Did you make the risotto too? I’ve been trying to nail down my timing making risotto. I’m a pretty accomplished cook, but it’s a challenge for me.

  3. Tifoso

    Did you ever eat a _real_ osso bucco in Italy ? Damn americans…

  4. kirklove

    I want to get into more slow roasting and braising, but I don’t own a Dutch Oven. Funny you mention Le Creuset. I had never heard of them and now it’s popped up right in front of me at least 3 times this last week alone. Funny how that happens. I suppose maybe I’m more aware of it now.Anyway… they ain’t cheap. Is Le Creuset substantially better than other brands since the price is nearly 4x other brands that I have seen. Perhaps it’s “worth” it in the long run. Would like your opinion as well as the most versatile size. 5 1/2 qt?

    1. Gotham Gal

      I own a few of these. Bigger is best. I believe I own the largest one theyhave and an 8 qt. Expensive yet, but you can literally hand these down tothe next generation. They are worth every penny. A must in every kitchen.

      1. kirklove

        Cool. Thanks. I found an 7 1/2 qt on sale for $229 at TigerChef. Got it. Going to try it out by attempting to make Coq au vin once it arrives. Should be interesting. As for handing it down good to know, but I need to work on handing it down to someone. ; )

        1. Gotham Gal

          You have many years ahead of you to enjoy your new purchase!joanne [email protected]

  5. cookiemoo

    Stupid me! I didn’t read the last sentence where you said it was polenta, lol. Anyway, I made your Osso Bucco and it was terrific! I had some veal demi glace in the house so I added a couple of tablespoons to the dish. This is a keeper, thanks.