Osso buco

The name of this classic means “bone with a hole” in Italian. What the name doesn’t tell you is that the hole is full of some really tasty bone marrow. The name doesn’t say anything about what kind of meat to use. Traditionally, this dish is made with veal. We have thoroughly enjoyed making this with beef shanks. It is a little less expensive, and beef shanks come included with our grass-fed cow order. Braising this tasty cut for a few hours will bring out the triplethreat flavors of marrow, meat, and gelatin. This combination of texture and richness is unforgettable.

4 beef shanks
¼ cup (60 mL) coconut oil
2 cups (300 g) onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
½ cup (125 mL) dry white wine
1 cup (250 mL) chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
28 ounces (825 mL) whole canned tomatoes
1 tablespoon (15 ml) basil, chopped
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon (5 ml) black pepper
2 sprigs fresh thyme

Optional Gremolata

¼ 1/4 cup (6 g) Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
~ zest from 1 lemon

Combine ingredients and mix well in sauce. You may also simply garnish individual servings with gremolata.

1. Allow meat to come to room temperature before cooking (about 30 minutes). Dust shanks with a pinch of black pepper and salt.
2. Heat coconut oil over high heat in sauté pan large enough to hold all meat in single layer. Brown both sides of shanks for about 3 minutes each side in pan.
3. Remove shanks and set aside, reducing heat to medium high, and preheat oven to 350°F (170°C).
4. Toss onions, carrots, peppers, and garlic in to sauté until they soften slightly, about 5 minutes.
5. Return temp to high and pour in your wine and broth. Deglaze pan as you add in your lemon juice, tomatoes, basil, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
6. Reduce liquid by about a third by cooking uncovered. Return the shanks to the pot along with the thyme sprigs.
7. Cover and place in the oven for 90–120 minutes. Remove from oven when meat is extremely tender.
8. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to carefully remove contents to serving platter.
9. Continue to cook/reduce sauce to desired thickness. Pour over shanks when serving.

Variations—Use lamb or veal shank instead of beef. You can also replace a pepper with 2 ribs of celery.

Tips & Tricks—We can’t stress enough that you need to be careful removing the meat from the pot. It makes for better presentation and that tasty marrow stays put in the bone. Yes, eat the marrow!

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Osso buco is Italian comfort cooking at its most generous, and this paleo version keeps every bit of the soul. Beef shanks brown hard in coconut oil, then braise with peppers, onions, white wine, and tomatoes until the meat pulls from the bone, finished with a bright gremolata of parsley, garlic, and lemon.

Pro Tips

• Brown the shanks a full 3 minutes per side before anything else joins the pan — that crust is the colour and depth of the finished sauce.
• Let the shanks come to room temperature first and season them simply with salt and pepper; cold meat in a hot pan steams instead of browning.
• Reduce the wine and broth by about a third uncovered before returning the shanks to the pot — concentrating the liquid early gives you a sauce with backbone.
• The gremolata (parsley, minced garlic, lemon juice) is stirred in at the end or scattered over each serving; it cuts the richness and wakes up the whole braise.
• The marrow in the centre of each shank is the cook's reward — scoop it out and spread it on the sauce-soaked vegetables.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cut is osso buco?

Traditionally veal shanks, but this recipe uses beef shanks, cross-cut so each piece shows the marrow bone at its centre. They braise to fork-tender in about the same time.

Can I make osso buco in a slow cooker?

Yes — brown the shanks and vegetables first, deglaze with the wine, then braise everything on low for 8 hours until the meat is completely tender.

Is this osso buco paleo?

It is: coconut oil for browning, a braise of wine, broth, tomatoes, and vegetables, and a fresh herb gremolata. No flour is used to thicken the sauce.

How do I know when the beef shanks are done?

After braising at 350°F (175°C), the meat should pull easily from the bone and resist no fork pressure at all. If it's still firm, give it another 20–30 minutes.

Recipe Card

Stav Kogan

Osso buco

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Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

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• 4 beef shanks
• ¼ cup (60 mL) coconut oil
• 2 cups (300 g) onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• ½ cup (125 mL) dry white wine
• 1 cup (250 mL) chicken broth
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 28 oz (825 mL) whole canned tomatoes
• 1 tbsp basil, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• ¼ 1/4 cup (6 g) Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced

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