Osso Buco
Osso Buco is a specialty of Lombardy that makes for a comforting, nutrient-dense, and affordable meal. I found this recipe in The Cooking of Italy book from 1968!
Ingredients
6 to 7 pounds pasture-raised veal shank or shin, sawed–not chopped–into 8 pieces, each 2½ inches long, and tied with string around their circumference
4 tablespoons grass-fed butter
1½ cups finely chopped organic onions
½ cup finely chopped organic carrots
½ cup finely chopped organic celery
1 teaspoon finely chopped organic garlic
3 cups drained organic diced tomatoes
6 tablespoons cup tallow
1 cup organic dry white wine
¾ cup pasture-raised beef bone broth
½ teaspoon organic dried basil
½ teaspoon organic dried thyme
6 springs of organic parsley
2 organic bay leaves
Gremolata
1 tablespoon organic grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon finely chopped organic garlic
3 tablespoons finely chopped organic parsley
Directions
Choose a heavy shallow cast iron dutch oven that has a tight cover and is just large enough to snuggly hold the pieces of veal standing up in one layer.
Melt the butter in the dutch oven over moderate heat, and when the foam subsides, add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are lightly colored. Remove from heat.
Season the pieces of veal with salt. Heat tallow in a cast iron skillet. Once hot, brown each side of the veal, then transfer them to the dutch oven, standing them side-by-side on top of the vegetables.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Discard almost all of the fat from the cast iron skillet, leaving just a film on the bottom. Pour in the wine and boil it briskly over high heat until it is reduced to about ½ cup. Scrape in any browned bits clinging to the pan. Now stir in the broth, basil, thyme, tomatoes, parsley sprigs, and bay leaves, and bring to a boil, then pour it all over the veal. The liquid should come halfway up the side of the vehicle; if it does not, add more broth.
Bring the dutch oven to a boil on top of the stove. Cover and bake in the lower, third of the oven, basting occasionally and regulating the oven heat to keep the casserole simmering gently.
In about an hour and 15 minutes, the veal should be tender; test by piercing the meat with the tip of a sharp knife.
To serve, arrange the pieces of veal and spoon the sauce and vegetables around them. Sprinkle the top with the gremolata.
