• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Great Eight Friends
  • Gr8 Food ∞
    • Appetizers
      • Dips and Spreads
    • Beverages
      • Adult Beverages
      • Non-Alcoholic Drinks
    • Bread
      • Quick Bread
      • Yeast Bread
    • Breakfast and Brunch
      • Egg Dishes
    • Desserts and Snacks
      • Cakes and Cupcakes
      • Candy and Confections
      • Cookies
      • Fruit
      • Pies and Tarts
      • Snacks
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • 130+ Main Courses
      • Beef
      • Fish
      • Lamb
      • Meatless
      • Pork
      • Poultry
    • Salads and Dressings
    • Sauces Salsas Marinades
    • Side Dishes
      • Pasta
      • Potatoes
      • Rice and Grains
      • Vegetables
    • Soup
  • Gr8 Friends ∞
    • Gr8 Dinners
    • Gr8 Holiday Ideas
    • Other Occasion Parties
  • Gr8 Fun ∞
    • Debbie's Craft Corner
    • Gr8 Trips
      • Field Trips
      • Vacations
    • Other Gr8 Stuff
      • Our Favorite Kitchen Tools
    • Restaurant Reviews
  • Who We Are
    • GR8 Party Outlines
    • Become a Gr8 Friend!
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Become a Gr8 Friend!
  • Main Courses
  • Appetizers
  • Beverages
  • Bread
  • Breakfast and Brunch
  • Desserts and Snacks
  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • Salads and Dressings
  • Sauces Salsas Marinades
  • Side Dishes
  • Soup
  • Gr8 Friends
  • Gr8 Dinners
  • Gr8 Fun
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Osso Buco, A Very Special Meal

    January 16, 2021 by Anna 2 Comments

    Veal Osso Buco is a fall off the bone succulent main course. This classic Italian recipe is heartily flavored with vegetables, wine, and the delicious marrow from the round bones.

    Overhead shot of white pot with osso buco.

    Whenever we invite guests to dinner, my first question to myself is, "what shall we serve?" And my answer to me is, "I don't want to spend all my time in the kitchen while our guests are here."

    So I try to plan foods that can be prepared ahead of time...at least where most of the actual "work" can be done in advance! Then all of those pots, pans, cutting boards, knives, etc. can be washed and put away and I can enjoy the evening!

    For very special occasions my go-to recipe is Veal Osso Buco. The entire main course can be made one to two days before serving; in fact, it's better if it is made ahead of time!

    Osso buco on a bed of polenta in a white dish topped with gremolata.

    Some Gr8 Tips

    • Ask your butcher to tie the shanks for you. This will save you time in the kitchen.
    Uncooked cross cut veal shanks.
    Veal Shanks tied
    • If you make this a day or two ahead of time, the fats will rise to the top and solidify in the fridge. Then you can easily remove the fat before reheating, making this a bit healthier.
    • Before reheating, let the Osso Buco sit at room temperature for about an hour to take the chill off.
    • Don't forget the Gremolata! This is essential for brightening and lightening all the flavors in this slow cooked meal.
    A place setting with osso buco on a bed of polenta in a white dish topped with gremolata. With a dish of gremolata above the plate.
    • Cooking times will vary depending on your stove/oven and especially what kind of pot you use. My enamel cast iron Dutch oven cooks much faster than my stainless steel Dutch ove

    How to Serve Osso Buco

    • Osso buco on a bed of polenta in a white dish topped with gremolata.
      On Polenta
    • Osso buco on a bed of noodles in a white dish topped with gremolata.
      Over Noodles
    • Osso buco with mashed potatoes.
      With Mashed Potatoes
    A close up of a piece of osso buco being lifted from the white pot with the rest of the osso buco.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save this RecipeSaved!

    Please leave a rating!

    5 from 1 vote

    Osso Buco con Gremolata

    Osso Buco is a delicious traditional Italian meal. You can substitute beef shanks if you prefer, but don't use any butter in the browning. The beef shanks are fattier than veal so you won't need the butter. Also, since beef shanks are larger, I can only fit four in my pan.
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time2 hrs
    Active Stove Time40 mins
    Total Time3 hrs 10 mins
    Course: Main Course, veal
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Gremolata, Osso Buco
    Servings: 8 people
    Author: Anna

    Special Equipment

    • Dutch Oven - I use my 7 quart and can fit 8 veal shanks
    • Cheese cloth

    Ingredients

    • 8 1½" to 2" thick tied veal shanks, should be about 10 to 12 ounces each. Have your butcher tie them to make your life easier.
    • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
    • 2 ½ teaspoons salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground pepper
    • 4 Tablespoons butter, divided
    • 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
    • 1 cup dry white wine
    • 1 ½ cups diced onion, about 1 large onion
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 3 medium carrots, chopped
    • 3 celery ribs, chopped
    • 1 ½ pounds of plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped, OR 28-ounce can of diced plum tomatoes, drained. I have used canned tomatoes several times with Gr8 results.
    • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 8 fresh Italian parsley sprigs
    • 4 fresh thyme sprigs
    • 4 to 6 cups chicken or beef broth

    Gremolata

    • Zest of ½ lemon
    • 3 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Heat the oven to 325°F.
    • Put the flour into a shallow dish (I use a pie plate) and mix in the salt and pepper. Pat the veal dry with a paper towel and dredge in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.
    • On medium-high heat, heat a Dutch oven(large enough to hold all the shanks), melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter and 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add 4 of the shanks and brown both sides, turning only once. This should take about 10 to 15 minutes total. (Timing will depend on the type of pot and your stove, see note.)
    • Transfer to a dish that will catch any released juices. Wipe out the pot with paper towels and add the remaining butter and olive oil. Melt over medium-high heat and brown the remaining meat, as in Step 3. Remove veal to the dish with the other 4 shanks.
    • Add the wine to the pot, bring mixture to a boil and let it reduce to about ⅓ cup, scraping up the bits and pieces from the pan as it boils. This should take about 8 - 10 minutes. (Again, depending on your pot.)
    • While the mixture is reducing tie the bay leaf, parsley, and thyme in some cheesecloth and set aside.
      Sprigs of parsley and thyme with a bay leaf on top of a piece of cheesecloth.
    • Once the wine is reduced add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery and cook until the onion is translucent.
    • Stir in the tomatoes and the nutmeg. (I know, nutmeg sounds strange, but it adds lovely hint of flavor.)
    • Put the browned shanks back into the pot along with any accumulated juices, nestling the veal down into the vegetables, then nestle the herb bundle in. Add enough broth to reach about ¾ of the way up the shanks.
    • Cover and place in the oven, until the meat begins to come away from the bone, 1½ to 2½ hours. If you don't have a Dutch oven that is oven safe, you can also braise this on low heat on your stove. Again, the timing depends on the pot you are using.
    • Add broth occasionally, if needed.
    • Serve over polenta, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with gremolata.

    Gremolata

    • Mix together the lemon zest, chopped parsley, and garlic. In Italy this is a commonly used condiment. It adds a lovely brightness.

    Notes

    Gr8 Do-Ahead Tip:
    After braising is complete, remove from oven and cool at room temp for about 1 ½ hours. Cover and refrigerate for up to two days. When ready to serve, remove the solidified fat that will have risen to the top. Let sit out for about an hour to take the chill off and reheat in a 325º F oven for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.
    Timing:
    The first few times I made this, I used my All-Clad stainless steel Dutch oven. Now that I have an enameled cast iron Dutch oven I use that. Everything about this dish takes a little longer in the stainless steel pot. Because an enameled cast iron pot holds and conducts heat better, the cooking goes faster.
    Gremolata
    Gremolata is an Italian condiment traditionally served over braised meats. But try rubbing it with oil on fish before grilling, or sprinkling over sautéed vegetables.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @Great8Friends or tag #gr8food!

    What kind of meat is Osso Buco?

    The meat in Osso Buco is veal, cross-cut veal shanks, to be specific. This is a lean meat that is tender and delicious after braising.

    You can definitely use cross-cut beef shanks if you don't want to use veal. If you use beef shanks, be sure to eliminate the butter during the browning because the beef shank is a much fattier piece of meat than the veal.

    The beef will release plenty of its own fat, so just use the olive oil. If you make this a day or two ahead of time, you can skim the solidified fat off before reheating.

    I've heard that you can also use pork or lamb shanks. Since I have not tried either of these, I can't speak to the flavor or the amount of oil or fat to use, or the cooking times.

    A close up of a piece of osso buco being lifted from the white pot with the rest of the osso buco.

    What does Osso Buco mean?

    Whichever kind of meat you decide to use, it won't be Osso Buco unless you get the meat with the marrow bones.

    Osso Buco literally means "bone hole." The round bones contain the marrow and the marrow not only flavors the sauce but also creates a silky consistency.

    Some people spell it Ossobucco or Osso Bucco, but however you spell it, it's still yummy!

    « Kombucha Whiskey Sour Cocktail
    Chocolate Chip Bread...Pure Bliss »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Be a Gr8 Friend and tell us what you think! Cancel reply

      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Kyle

      October 12, 2015 at 9:26 am

      Stay tuned....... We have a whole week of recipes coming up that are "do-aheads"!

    2. Claudia Kerns

      October 11, 2015 at 9:07 am

      Anna, this is my kind of recipe. Please share more of your do ahead recipes. With El Nino coming we will be ready for these do ahead comfort dishes! This will be my first attempt at OssoBuco.

    Primary Sidebar

    Be a Gr8 Friend!

    Talk With Us!

    • Kyle on Ina Garten's Yummy Irish Soda Bread
    • Deb Malay on Ina Garten's Yummy Irish Soda Bread
    • Debbie on Red Cabbage Rødkål
    • Helen on Red Cabbage Rødkål
    • Debbie on Layered Vegetable Pâté Recipe
    my foodgawker gallery

    Need More Servings?

    Our recipes will do the calculation for you. Just hover over the number of servings then move the slider to the number desired. (Please be aware: this will not change pan or bowl sizes, so you may have to adjust for that.)

    It's Grilling Season!

    ThermoWorks Thermapen Mk4

    Hi, I'm Skylar! This is a fake profile talking about how I switched to a paleo diet and it helped my eczema and I grew 4". Trust me, I'm an online doctor.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • '60s Sitcoms TV Dinner Party
    • Buttery Crusted Strawberry Rhubarb Tart
    • Mixed Greens with Arugula Oil and Lemon Vinaigrette
    • Spring Pea and Arugula Soup Recipe

    You can duplicate your homepage's trending recipes section in the sidebar to reinforce the internal linking.

    We no longer recommend using a search bar, newsletter form or category drop-down menu in the sidebar. See the Modern Sidebar post for details.

    If the block editor is not narrower than usual, simply save the page and refresh it.

    Footer

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Our Party Outline

    As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright ©2022 Foodie Pro on the Foodie Pro Theme