SERVES 6
There are many reasons to love osso buco, one being the delectable marrow in the center that adds a delicious richness to the sauce. What makes this dish for me, though, is the gremolata, a garnish typically made from chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest. I love how the fresh flavors of the herbs brighten up a luscious meal.
Traditionally this dish is made with veal, but if you don’t have access to humanely raised veal, then beef shanks will work, too!
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE GREMOLATA:
1 cup/40 g fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp/20 g pine nuts
2 small cloves garlic or 1 large clove
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp/15 ml fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp/30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 lbs/900 g veal shanks or beef shanks
sea salt and pepper
3 tbsp/43 g ghee
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 tbsp/30 ml tomato paste (preferably from a jar)
½ cup/120 ml white wine
1 cup/235 ml Beef Broth
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
To make the gremolata, combine all of the ingredients (parsley, pine nuts, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil) in a food processor and pulse until well combined but still chunky. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Generously season the veal with salt and pepper. Melt the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan or a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shanks and cook until browned on all sides. Set veal aside and add onion to the pan. Cook until onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, carrots and celery and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, then add wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the shanks back to the pan, along with the beef broth. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1½ hours or until meat is tender, occasionally basting the shanks. To serve, arrange the shanks on dinner plates, spoon a generous amount of sauce from the pan over them, and sprinkle them with gremolata.
