Osso Buco, the easy way

I have heard of Osso Buco before - like when Tim Allen's character in "The Santa Clause" asked his son if he wanted osso buco for Christmas dinner. It was always something I thought of as being in the category of "order in a restaurant because it's too complicated to make at home."

Fast forward to pulling the "beef shank soup bones" from our 1/4 beef purchase out of the freezer, figuring I would make beef stock (which was going to be a first for me). I had even bugged friends for recipes. Then I unwrapped the packages and saw how meaty those bones were. Holy cats! Not what I expected at all! So, I jumped online and did some searching. I found an osso buco recipe that looked pretty straight forward and thought - why not?

That first recipe (http://www.tasteofdivine.com/simple-osso-bucco/) turned out great! But never one to be content to not tinker with a recipe, I adapted it to our taste. Here it is!


Osso Buco, the Easy Way

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3-6 beef shanks (or "beef shank soup bones"), depending on size and how many leftovers you want
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 tablespoons chipotles in adobo sauce that have been finely diced (can substitute tomato paste)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 4 cups boiling water
  • 4 tsp Better Than Bouillon Beef Base
  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
  1. Add oil to dutch oven or deep cast iron pan heated on medium-high setting.
  2. Generously season both sides of meat with salt and pepper. If you slice through the membrane around the meat on the outside of the shank, you can reduce the instance of your meat curling up on you.
  3. Sear meat in oil - a couple of minutes each side. Don't crowd the meat - it's better to do this in stages. Remove meat from pan and set aside.
  4. Add onion, carrot, and garlic to pot and saute on medium heat until soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Add wine to pan. Cook for a few minutes until pan is deglazed and wine is reduced by half. Add chipotles or tomato paste and stir.
  6. Return meat to pan, add bay leaf, thyme, and add enough stock to cover meat most of the way (doesn't have to be submerged).
  7. Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to a light simmer. Cover pan and leave the lid slightly ajar. To keep condensation from dropping down the outside of the pot, you can place a wooden spoon across one edge before putting the lid on.
  8. Simmer on low heat for 3-4 hours, until the meat is falling off the bone. (Can cook longer, just watch liquid level and add water if needed.)
  9. Remove meat and Cover with foil or lid to keep warm. Continue simmering the liquid, uncovered about 15 minutes until it has reduced into a sauce.
  10. Serve Osso Buco with the reduced sauce, a side of smashed potatoes, and some green veggies.

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