Italian Specilaty of Lombardy – Osso buco

Osso buco is, without a doubt, a very funny name for a dish. It is known in Italian cuisine, however, if you are not a gastronomic veteran, you certainly don’t know what kind of dish it is. Osso buco is an Italian dish of Lombardy cuisine and the name means hole in the bone, osso – bone, bucco – hole.

The meat used for this Italian specialty is veal, more precisely veal shank, and the pieces of meat are cut together with the bone to reveal the hole, after which the dish takes its name. You may find it unusual to leave the bone in the meat, but the Italians have a good reason for it. Actually, the meat around the bone is usually the juiciest, and the bone releases its juices and contributes to the aroma and taste of the dish itself. There are two ways of preparing this dish, the traditional osso buco (osso buco in bianco) and the modern way of preparation. The traditional way of preparing this dish is to season the meat  with cinnamon, bay leaf, parsley and garlic. If you are preparing in a slightly more modern way, you will need tomatoes, celery, onions and carrots. The primary ingredient is veal shank, which is braised to make it tender and juicy. Although recipes vary, most begin by coating the shank in flour and frying it in butter until it has a crispy crust, then braising it in a mixture of white wine and beaf or vegetable broth.

Osso buco is an ideal dish for any occasion. The history of this specialty originates from Lombardy, at the beginning of the 19th century, but the exact year is unknown. This recipe appeared in Italian cooks at the end of the 19th century, but is believed to have existed since the 18th century. The dish was usually made in large quantities to feed the whole family, while the oven warmed the home. The flavors of this dish quickly spread throughout Italy and you could taste the wonderful aromas of this meat specialty everywhere. We bring you one of the suggestions of this Italian specialty.

You will need:

1 kg veal shanks (cut as in the picture above)

60 grams of flour

1 head of onion

1 green onion

3 cloves of garlic

2 carrots

150 ml of white wine

400 g of tomatoe puree

1 large potato

300ml of beef broth

salt, pepper, bay leaf, oil

First of all, the meat should be washed and dried with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Flour the meat on both sides.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the meat on all sides until golden brown. Remove the meat and put it in a fireproof baking dish with a lid.

In the same pan, fry the onion and green onion until they soften. Then add the carrot, cut into small pieces, and the garlic and fry everything together.

Pour white wine and beef broth over the vegetables and let it cook for 3 minutes. Add tomato puree and bay leaf, as well as spices to desired taste.

Pour the whole vegetable mixture over the meat and spread it nicely on the dish so that the meat is tucked into the vegetables. At the end, add the peeled and cut potatoes into quarters or halves. If you think there is not enough liquid, add more beef broth, so that the meat simmers and softens; the liquid helps him do that.

Cover the container, and put it in a heated oven, at 175°C, for about two hours, with occasional watching and stirring. Add beef broth if necessary during cooking, so that the meat becomes soft. Serve with rice or couscous. Bon appetit!