Chef It Up: Osso Buco

We’re on our journey to creating beautiful dishes with incredible flavors. What makes all the difference? The experimenting and hard work that is put in before anyone has even tried our food.

After we got married we were two young beginner chefs trying to expand our culinary knowledge. The result being, almost every Shabbos and Yom Tov meal took us to a different time or country. One thing we discovered is that many classic dishes are perfect for Shabbos or Yom Tov meals as they could be put together and left to braise, ensuring delicious soft meat. We made things like beef bourguignon, coq au vin, and this osso buco recipe we’re about to share.

By the time the men get home from shul everything was so juicy and tender because it just braised for a number of hours! All it takes is some tough cuts of meat, fresh herbs, good leftover wine, and some time. You don’t need experience to cook this dish…just a little patience to let the flavors develop. Take a trip to Italy! We promise, you won’t be disappointed.

Directions

Pat the veal shanks dry with a paper towel.

With cooking twine, wrap each veal shank once around the circumference so that it holds the bone and meat together in the center. Tie the twine with a good knot. Season the veal shanks with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Brown veal shanks on each side for 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to the pot. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and sauté for a few minutes, until the vegetables start to get some color.

Add white wine and cook down for 3–5 minutes.

Add stock, canned tomatoes, herbs and bay leaf to the pan. Return the veal shanks to the pot. Transfer to oven for two to two and a half hours, until the meat is tender.

To serve, cut the twine and discard it.

Notes:

If you want to leave this to braise for a few hours, just lower the temperature to 250°F after one hour.