Recipe: Beef Osso Buco

The original recipe calls for veal shanks but we popularly substitute it with beef shanks since we don't see that much veal in our local groceries. But you still get that meaty flavorful texture of the meat and the buttery bone marrow that melts in your mouth. In my recipe, I baked my tomatoes separately instead of adding tomato paste in the stew and sprinkle gremolata over the dish just before serving. I also love to add potatoes to this dish to make it more hearty.

This is also a great party dish since a slab of shank is usually large and can serve a lot of guests. When serving, make sure you have lots of risotto or rice on the side, everyone is bound to have second helpings.

Preparation time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 1-1.5 hours

Serves 4-5 guests

Ingredients:

500 grams beef shank, cut into 2 inch thick slices across the bone

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Flour for dredging

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced 

4 cloves garlic

2 stalks celery sliced

1 medium carrot sliced

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 medium potato cubed (optional)

1 beef cube

1 cup white wine

Water

Roux:

Heat 2 tbsp butter in a small separate pan until melted and add 1 tbsp flour. Turn off heat. 

Gremolata:

Mix together

2 tsp chopped parsley 

1/2 tsp rock salt

Grated zest of 1 lemon

In a small bowl

Oven dried tomatoes:

Slice 300 grams of cherry tomatoes in half. Arrange them in a flat baking pan. Drizzle olive oil, chopped parsley and salt on top. 

Procedure:

1. Season beef shanks with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. 

2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and brown the shanks on both sides. Remove and transfer the meat inside a pressure cooker. 

3. On the same pan, add the onions, garlic, carrot and celery. Sweat until fragrant. Add this to the meat inside the pressure cooker. Set the pan aside. 

4. Add the thyme, rosemary, and potato, beef cube and white wine inside the pressure cooker. Add water until it barely covers the meat. Pressure cook for 45 mins. 

5. Depressurize after 45 mins. and remove meat from the liquid. Arrange in a deep dish. Reserve liquid. 

5. Use the same pan in step 2 and 3 to make the roux. Deglaze with the remaining liquid. This should thicken the sauce. 

6. Pour sauce over the meat in the deep dish. Sprinkle with gremolata on top and serve with the tomatoes on the side. Alternatively you can add the tomatoes on top.