Il Cucinologo
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Braised Ossobuco

17/11/2023

Ossobuco is a traditional dish of Lombard cuisine, highly appreciated for its rich flavor and the tender meat that easily falls off the bone. Here is the recipe for preparing Milanese-style braised ossobuco:

Ingredients

  • 4 slices of veal ossobuco (about 1.5 cm thick)
  • Flour, as needed to coat the ossobuco
  • 50 g butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 150 ml dry white wine
  • 500 ml beef broth (hot)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon (for the gremolada)
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped (for the gremolada)
  • Chopped parsley, to taste (for the gremolada)

Preparation

  1. Lightly flour the ossobuco and shake off any excess flour.
  2. In a large skillet big enough to hold all the ossobuco in a single layer, melt the butter with the oil over medium-high heat.
  3. Add the ossobuco and brown until golden on both sides, then remove and set aside.
  4. In the same skillet, add the onion, carrot, and celery, and sauté until softened.
  5. Return the ossobuco to the pan with the vegetables, increase the heat, and deglaze with the white wine. Let it evaporate almost completely.
  6. Reduce the heat and add the hot broth until it almost covers the ossobuco. If desired, add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste.
  7. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for about 1 and a half hours or until the meat is tender, checking occasionally and adding broth if necessary.
  8. At the end of cooking, prepare the gremolada by mixing the grated lemon zest, chopped garlic, and chopped parsley.
  9. Sprinkle the gremolada over the ossobuco before serving to add a fresh aroma and flavor to the dish.

Ossobuco is traditionally served with Milanese risotto, but it is also excellent with simple polenta or boiled potatoes.

Fun Fact

Ossobuco, literally “bone with a hole,” takes its name from the bone with the hole in the center of the meat slice. This bone, filled with marrow, is extremely flavorful and is often squeezed over the dish before eating to fully appreciate the rich taste of the marrow.