Ossobuco alla Milanese

braised veal shin, gremolata, two-hour simmer

Prep
20 min
Cook
1h 40m
Total
2h
Serves
4
Difficulty
Hard
Rating
4.9 / 5 (312 ratings)

Cross-cut veal shin braised in white wine and stock for two hours until the meat falls back from the bone and the marrow in the hollow turns unctuous. The gremolata, a raw mix of lemon zest, garlic and parsley, goes on at the table. Don't leave it out. Serve with risotto alla milanese or polenta.

Ingredients

For 4 servings.

Ossobuco

  • 4 slices veal cross-cut shin (ossobuco), about 4cm thick (about 300g each; ask the butcher to tie them or do it yourself)
  • as needed 00 flour to dust
  • 50 g butter
  • 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 200 ml dry white wine
  • 400 ml warm beef or veal stock
  • 1 pc bay leaf
  • to taste salt and pepper

Gremolata

  • 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 pc lemon, zest only
  • 1 small clove, finely minced garlic

Method

  1. 1. Tie and season

    Tie a piece of kitchen twine around the circumference of each veal slice to hold its shape during the long braise. Season generously with salt and pepper and dust lightly in flour.

    Without the twine, the meat contracts and the bone slides out. It doesn't affect the flavour but it's harder to serve.

  2. 2. Brown the veal

    Heat the butter and oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan or casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the veal slices for 3-4 minutes per side until deep golden. Set aside. Don't rush this stage.

  3. 3. Soffritto

    Reduce the heat to medium. In the same pan, cook the finely diced onion, carrot and celery for 8-10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

  4. 4. Deglaze and add liquid

    Pour in the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the base. Let it reduce by half, about 3-4 minutes. Add the warm stock and the bay leaf. Nestle the veal back in. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the meat.

    Warm stock. Cold stock added to a hot pan drops the temperature and can cause the meat to seize.

  5. 5. Braise

    Bring to a very gentle simmer. Cover the pan and cook on the lowest possible heat, or transfer to a 160°C / 325°F oven, for 90 minutes. Turn the veal gently once at the 45-minute mark. The meat should be very tender and pulling away from the bone.

    The heat must stay low throughout. A hard boil toughens the meat.

  6. 6. Reduce and finish

    Remove the veal and tent with foil. Remove the twine. If the braising liquid is thin, reduce it over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until it coats a spoon lightly. Taste for salt.

  7. 7. Gremolata and serve

    Mix the parsley, lemon zest and garlic together. Spoon the sauce over the veal and scatter the gremolata at the table, not in the kitchen. The fresh brightness of the gremolata needs to hit the dish at the last moment.

Nutrition per serving

  • 530 kcal
  • Protein: 48g
  • Carbs: 14g
  • Fat: 27g

A bit of history

Ossobuco in Italian means hollow bone, which is what you're eating: the cross-section of a veal shin, with the marrow inside the bone. It's been documented in Milanese cookbooks since the early 19th century and is one of the dishes most strongly associated with Lombardy's winter cooking.

The gremolata is not decoration. The sharpness of the raw lemon zest and garlic cuts through the richness of two hours of braising and changes the dish's flavour completely. Traditional recipes also add anchovy to the gremolata, which disappears into the dish and adds depth without tasting of fish.