Tender Beef Osso Buco

Here is an amazingly comforting meal that will stick to your ribs, can be made a day before you actually want to serve it, and is fancy enough for company.

What is Osso Buco?

First of all, the Italian name refers to ‘bone with a hole’, because the dish uses cross cut veal shanks, exposing the bone in each slice. Traditionally this dish is made with veal shanks, uses white wine, and is finished with a lemon and herb gremolata.  After a good braise, the tender meat and sauce are served over polenta.

Because this dish is made with shank meat and bones, you will have the treat of eating the marrow!  The marrow is the gelatinous bit in the centre of the bone.  (I save it for the last, cuz I think it’s that special!) I have always loved marrow, we used to fight over the extra bones as kids. But if you’ve never tried it before, I’m attaching a link to a fantastic article on why you may want to consider sampling it here.  We’re talking high in nutrients, collagen, and great for our joints etc.

My Osso Buco

I don’t use veal, but rather beef shanks cut cross-wise.  I use red wine and tomato paste in the braising liquid.  I don’t serve it with gremolata.  And thanks to Jim, it usually gets served over garlic mashed potatoes!

Method

First of all, the meat is tied off to help it cook evenly around the bone (even though it usually ends up buckling somehow!) and seared on both sides.  But if you didn’t tie it off at all, the meat will most likely separate and you’ll be left with a bunch of cross cut bones floating in the broth. Remove the seared meat to a plate before the next step. Then a quick sauté of a mix of vegetables, garlic, onions, carrots and shallots is added to the pot. Tomato paste, port, red wine, beef stock and demi-glace round out the braising liquid.  The meat will get nestled back into the pot and covered.  It will cook on low heat (either oven or stove top is fine) till the meat is fall apart tender.

Remove the meat to a plate.  Strain the cooking liquid, and cook it down to create the most sublime and rich sauce.  Let it cool and remove the layer of fat on top.  I do this by transferring it to a bowl, seal, cover it with foil, and place it out on the balcony till chilled! Then the fat will rise to the top and can be scooped  up with a slotted spoon. Take the liquid with the removed fat and reheat on the stove till reduced to a silky sauce.

Let it Rest

At this point you will add the meat back into the sauce, let it cool down and store in the fridge till the next day.  Let it all reheat over low heat (again oven or stove top) till warmed through.  This rest will let the flavours meld and the sauce will be a wonderful consistency.  While I will cook this the day before, you can also prepare and cook everything first thing in the morning, and let it rest till it is time to reheat and serve.  The rest is truly ideal, but of course, you can serve as soon as everything is cooked through the first time.  I just like the idea of using my energy to work on the side dishes the next day, than trying to juggle everything at the same time (makes for a cleaner kitchen too!)

Pointers

Best Cooking Pot: I like using a braiser or wide dutch oven for larger amounts.  A braiser is wide, allowing the meat to all sit at the same level and be easily covered with the braising liquid.  If you use a dutch oven and have to layer the meat, you will want to keep an eye on the meat on top, making sure it gets even cooking from the liquid. See below.

Port: While port is called for in this recipe, feel free to swap out Madiera or other rich fortified wine.  I use homemade beef stock, with the addition of veal demi-glace for more richness. If you want to make your own demi glace, here is a great method.  I just usually purchase mine from my butcher and store in the fridge.  But if all you have is a container of store bought beef stock, it will still work, it just won’t be as rich as it could be.

Oven vs Stove Top: Letting everything braise in the oven means that the heat will circulate around the pot more evenly.  But even so, you will still move the meat from the bottom of the pot to the top layer of the pot half way through cooking.   If you use the stove top, you will need to do the same thing, and just watch out that nothing is scorching at the bottom of the pot.

Braising Method for all your Favourite Meats

Everything I described above will work for just about any slow cooked meat of your liking.  Whether it is lamb shanks, short ribs, oxtails etc, you can follow this recipe exactly, with wonderful results.  The only thing that may change is the actual braising time. So save this recipe and you will have a go-to recipe for all the comfort food dishes of winter, worthy of company or Sunday Dinner.

What to Serve with Osso Buco 

Classically this dish is served with creamy polenta.  But feel free to serve it with creamy garlic mashed potatoes instead.  Or pappardelle, egg noodles, or even rice.  A side of green vegetables, or pan sautéed root vegetables will round it out perfectly.  A good Cab Sauvignon is the ideal red wine to have on hand.

If you have leftover sauce (I would rather have too much than too little, serve it with french fries or Onion Rings later in the week! 

This is truly a special and yet cozy meal.  Your family will rave and thank you for feeding them so well!

*disclaimer, I used halved garlic heads for the photos.  Halved garlic cloves are specified in the recipe.

Love Jen

5 from 1 vote

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Beef Osso Buco

Rich, comforting, everything you want a winter meal to be. Best of all, this braise of beef on the bone, red wine, vegetables and port lingers on a low temperature till the meat is fall apart tender. Reduce the cooking liquid into the most luxurious sauce and serve everything over mashed potatoes. Bliss!

Course main

Cuisine French, Italian

Keyword bouquet garni, demi-glace, osso buco, port, red wine

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours 45 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 6 Beef osso buco cuts see Notes
• 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 celery stalk, cut in half
• 3 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp coarsely ground pepper
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 4 medium shallots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 5 garlic cloves, halved
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour, can use gluten free
• 1/2 cup Port or Madeira
• 4 cups full bodied red wine, like Cabernet Sauvignon
• 5 cups beef stock
• 1 cup demi-glace, see Notes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325F.
2. Bind each osso buco with twine. Place the thyme and rosemary sprigs, and the bay leaf between the two halves of celery, and tie off with twine to create a bouquet garni of sorts.
3. Season the osso buco with 2 tsp of salt and the pepper. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or braiser over high heat. Once heated, in two batches, brown the osso buco well on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Pour off all but about 3 tbsp of the fat. Transfer the meat to a plate.
4. Lower the heat to medium and add the carrots, onion, shallots and garlic to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, till the onion is softened and turning golden. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes.
5. Add the flour and stir well to coat everything. Add the port, red wine and the celery bundle. Cook until the liquid is reduced by a third, about 20 minutes.
6. Return the osso buco to the pot, ideally in one layer, but two is fine. Add the stock, demi-glace and remaining salt. If the liquid doesn't reach the top of the meat, supplement with water. Bring it all to a bubbling simmer. Cover and transfer the pot to the oven.
7. Cook for 3 hours, checking the pot occasionally to move the meat on the bottom to the top, and to test for tenderness. The meat is done when it is fork tender and falling off the bone. Depending on your oven, this may happen before 3 hours, but don't be in a rush to pull it out.
8. Remove the osso buco to a plate and remove the strings. Strain the liquid through a mesh strainer to a medium sauce pan. Discard the solids, Chill the pot of liquid till the fat can be skimmed off easily.
9. Over medium heat, bring the braising liquid to a bubbling simmer and reduce the liquid to about 4 cups. Depending on how much you started with, this can take up to 45 minutes.

10. Return the osso buco to the liquid and simmer till warmed through. Serve.

Make ahead.

1. Do everything up to reducing the cooking liquid. Place the osso buco in the liquid. Cover and chill overnight. (in the winter you can even place the pot out on the balcony or in the garage!) Bring back to room temperature and then reheat over low till warmed through.
2. Serve with garlic mashed pototoes, herb polenta, pappardelle, or even rice. A side of steamed greens or sautéed root vegetables round out this dish perfectly.

Recipe Notes

Feel free to substitute the meat with short ribs, lamb shanks, or oxtail. Follow every step, only adjusting the cooking time till tender.
Demi-glace can be purchased at most good butchers these days. If you can't find it, and don't want to make your own, feel free to omit. Replace with beef stock.