Osso Buco alla Milanese

Osso buco — "bone with a hole" — is the defining dish of Milanese bourgeois cooking. Slow-braised cross-cut veal shanks surrender their collagen to the cooking liquid, creating a silky, deeply savory sauce. The marrow in the exposed bone is prized; diners scoop it out with a small spoon. A finishing scatter of gremolata — raw lemon zest, garlic, and parsley — cuts through the richness brilliantly. Traditionally served with saffron risotto, though soft polenta works equally well.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 cross-cut veal shanks, about 300 g (10 oz) each, 4 cm (1½ in) thick
• Salt and black pepper
• 60 g (½ cup) plain flour, for dusting
• 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
• 400 g (14 oz) canned whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 250 ml (1 cup) chicken or veal stock
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf

Gremolata: zest of 1 lemon, 1 small garlic clove minced, 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, all finely chopped

Instructions

1. Tie kitchen twine around the circumference of each shank to hold the meat to the bone. Season generously with salt and pepper, then dust lightly in flour, shaking off excess.
2. Heat olive oil in a wide Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown shanks about 4 minutes per side until deeply golden; work in batches. Remove and set aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Cook onion, celery, and carrot for 8–10 minutes until softened. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Pour in wine, scraping up browned bits; simmer 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and stock, then nestle shanks back in upright. Add thyme and bay leaf.
4. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover tightly, and braise over very low heat — or in a 160 °C (325 °F) oven — for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, turning once halfway, until meat pulls easily from the bone.
5. Stir together gremolata ingredients. Remove twine from shanks. Taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Serve each shank over risotto or polenta, spooning braising sauce generously over the top. Scatter gremolata just before serving.

Cook's Notes: Keep shanks upright so the marrow does not fall out — use a pot just wide enough to fit them snugly. Osso buco improves markedly overnight; reheat gently, covered, adding a splash of stock if the sauce has tightened.