Ossobuco is one of our favorite Italian dishes of all time. Essentially this is an Italian classic that consists of braised veal shanks in a wine-based sauce. The classic version of ossobuco from Northern Italy uses white wine and a sofrito as the base of a slow braise. This recipe for Braised Veal Shanks is rich, loaded with flavor, and served with a light fresh gremolata to balance the flavors. This version is a spectacular take on this delicious dish and with its bright, vibrant flavors, it can be enjoyed throughout the year!
Looking for more Italian veal dishes like this? Try out our Bone-In Veal Milanese Recipe (Cotoletta alla Milanese) or Saltimbocca alla Romana.
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Origins of Ossobuco
- Ingredients
- Substitutions
- How to Make Braised Veal Shanks with Fresh Gremolata
- Equipment
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Variations
- Storage
- Top tip
- Troubleshooting
- What to serve with Braised Veal Shanks (Ossobuco)
- What Wines To Drink with Ossobuco
- Mangiamo Cookbook
- FAQ
- Related
- Pairing
- 📖 Recipe
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- A bright and vibrant twist on a classic ossobuco.
- Can be enjoyed throughout the year.
- Flavors of orange brighten the dish.
- Braised in rosé wine for more vibrant flavors.
- Can be served with a wide variety of sides and accompaniments.
Origins of Ossobuco
Ossobuco, or osso buco, is a traditional dish from Milan, Italy. Traditional ossobuco recipes slow braise veal shanks with a sofrito base (combination of carrots, celery and onion), tomatoes, and some seasonings in white wine and stock. The resulting ossobuco dish is usually served with a vibrant gremolata of garlic, parsley, and lemon and is often accompanied by creamy polenta or risotto.
Braising the veal shanks makes them super tender and decadent. While ossobuco is from Milan, there are other popular major versions in Naples (without tomatoes) and in Verona (with red wine) that are slightly different. However, given that ossobuco was officially documented sometime in the 1800’s as a dish, there has been plenty of time to put modern twists on it without compromising the original recipe. Thus, there are even more variations in Italy and all over the world!
Our Recipe for Ossobuco
We did some tinkering with this version, but wanted to pay homage to the original and keep it close to what we love about a classic Italian ossobuco recipe. Ossobuco is generally a very rich dish, but this version with rosé wine, vegetable stock and orange zest in the gremolata has a nice light and bright flavor profile! We love this lighter flavored version during spring and summer, but this version is delightful any time of year!
Ingredients
Here is what you need to make this recipe for Braised Veal Shanks
- Veal Shanks: Tender veal shanks are perfect for slow-cooked or braised dishes like this because of the super tender meat and unique flavor.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
- All Purpose Flour: All-Purpose flour works perfectly here.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: EVOO is used to sear the veal shanks before braising and for starting the braising liquid.
- Yellow Onion: One of the three sofrito ingredients.
- Celery: Finely chopped sofrito component.
- Carrot: As with the celery and onion, finely chopped carrot adds to the overall flavor in the sofrito base of the sauce.
- Rosemary: A fresh rosemary sprig adds aroma and flavor to the dish.
- Bay Leaf: Another workhorse spice, bay leaves are a great addition to any braised dish.
- Cinnamon: A cinnamon stick will not only give depth of flavor, but will make the aroma of the dish mouthwatering. This is somewhat of a secret ingredient in this recipe that really gives it a little something special.
- Rosé Wine: A dry rosé wine is what we went with here and had outstanding results! It adds a nice brightness to the recipe.
- Tomato Paste: Just a little tomato paste deepens the flavor and richness of the braising liquid and resulting sauce.
- Crushed Tomatoes: We don’t add a lot of tomatoes, but the flavor of a can of crushed tomatoes works perfectly.
- Vegetable Stock: High quality and preferably unsalted, we like the lightness of this as opposed to a veal or beef stock
- Parsley: One of the four components of our summer gremolata, fresh parsley is traditionally included.
- Orange Zest: Orange zest replaces traditional lemon zest in this gremolata.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is one of the iconic ingredients of a good gremolata.
- Lemon Juice: The tartness and acidity works well with the orange zest, garlic, and parsley in the gremolata.
See recipe card below for quantities.
Substitutions
Here are a couple of common substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:
- Veal Shanks: Beef or pork shanks can be used in this recipe, but veal shanks are very much preferred by us for their tenderness and flavor! We can find good quality veal shanks often at our local grocery store, but they are also available from some online vendors - we like THIS one.
- All Purpose Flour: The flour adds some body to the final dish, but can be omitted or replaced with a gluten free option if desired.
- Vegetable Stock: We like how light vegetable stock makes this recipe taste, but chicken stock is a good substitute. Beef or veal stock all work as well, but they will give this a heavier, beefier flavor.
- Rosé Wine: We have made ossobuco with white wine, red wine and now rosé wine. You can use a dry white wine successfully here as a close substitute as this is a lighter version of the classic, but rosé wine adds an interesting twist. Adding red wine will gives this dish a deeper, heavier and richer flavor.
How to Make Braised Veal Shanks with Fresh Gremolata
This dish is quite easy to make as it cooks slowly and unattended in the oven for nearly the entire time.
Equipment
Here is what you need to make this dish
- Large Dutch Oven or oven-proof braising dish to cook the ossobuco
- Heavy skillet to sear the veal shanks
- Kitchen twine (butcher's twine) to tie the veal shanks to keep them from falling apart
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare and Sear the Veal Shanks
- Dry each veal shank very well. You will cook the whole shank with the bone for this recipe. Tie each shank so the meat stays on the bone when cooking. Sprinkle each shank with salt and pepper on all surfaces. Heat a large Dutch oven or braising pot on high for a minute and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sear the veal shanks, in batches if necessary, until golden brown on all sides. About 3-4 minutes in total. Set the shanks aside.
Make the braising liquid
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the same Dutch oven or braising pot, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until the onions are opaque. If they start to brown that’s fine, but they are done at this point. Add the rosemary, cinnamon, bay leaves, a small amount (½ cup) of the wine, and the tomato paste. Stir and cook until the wine and tomato paste have incorporated - about 30 seconds.
- Place the veal shanks in the Dutch oven. Add the remaining wine, crushed tomatoes, and vegetable stock. The liquid should come ¾ up the sides of the veal shanks. If there is not enough liquid add some more stock or water. The shanks shouldn't be completely emerged, so only use enough liquid as necessary here. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and remove from the heat.
Braise the veal shanks
- Immediately place the ossobuco into the preheated oven, covered. Cook for 2 ½ hours, checking at the 1 and 2 hour marks to ensure that the liquid has not evaporated too much. If it has evaporated to expose more than half of the veal shanks, add a little more stock or water to bring the level back up.
Prepare the Gremolata
- Combine the parsley, orange zest, garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to serve the ossobuco.
Serve
- Remove the veal shanks from the braising liquid and plate. Cut off the string before serving. Top the veal shank with some of the braising liquid and finish with the gremolata on top of the shank.
Variations
Here are a couple ways to change up this recipe:
- If you like, you can make a hearty rich sauce from the braising liquid instead of just serving it as it is. Just remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick and puree the liquid. Then cook it down until it thickens a bit and finish with some butter if desired.
- Try using this recipe with an entirely different protein. Chicken hind quarters work well and they don’t have to be braised as long. Beef short ribs are also a great variation as is any roast you’d use for a pot roast!
- Deepen the flavors by using red wine and beef stock. This version with a rich flavor is a great dish during the cold winter months of the year.
Storage
How to store leftover ossobuco:
- Store leftover ossobuco in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
How to reheat leftover ossobuco:
- Simply place in an oven safe dish, cover with foil or an oven safe lid and warm in the oven for about 25 minutes at 375°F or until warmed through.
Can you freeze leftover ossobuco?
- Yes! Just defrost before reheating.
How to use leftover ossobuco:
- We love to enjoy the leftovers as is, but if you want a unique way to use leftovers, we love making ossobuco ravioli!
Top tip
The bone marrow from the veal shanks is delicious and traditionally eaten in Italy. When ready to serve, either pull it out of the marrow hole of the bone with a little marrow spoon and spread it over the meat, on a piece of crusty bread, or mix it into the sauce!
Troubleshooting
You shouldn’t have any issues, but after the ossobuco has braised for about an hour, give it a check to make sure you don’t have excessive evaporation of the liquid. If you do add some vegetable stock or water, but we’ve never had this issue with the recipe as written.
What to serve with Braised Veal Shanks (Ossobuco)
Saffron Risotto is a classic dish often paired with veal shanks, especially in the Northern parts of Italy. However we also love serving the ossobuco over pasta as the braising liquid becomes a sauce, over creamy parmesan polenta or silky smooth mashed potatoes. Other good sides should be lighter, such as broccolini, peas, asparagus or green beans.
What Wines To Drink with Ossobuco
Our ossobuco uses rosé wine, but that is not the best pairing when considering what to drink. Even a traditional version from Milan made with white wine is usually served with a full bodied red wine.
We find that a Barolo is the best pairing for veal shank ossobuco, and a Sangiovese or Chianti Classico as a close second. These dry red wines allow the dish to shine without being too heavy and they have complementary flavors.
If you do choose to serve ossobuco with a white wine, you need to go big and bold and Chardonnay is a good pick if you opt out of serving red wine.
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FAQ
Ossobuco is traditionally veal shanks. There are variations using pork or beef, but veal is the king of ossobuco!
The most traditional side dish for ossobuco is risotto. The original ossobuco is from Milan and so is the classic risotto alla Milanese so they are often paired in some way or another.
If you are substituting the veal, try beef shanks or pork shanks. They both work well.
Related
Looking for other Classic Italian recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are our favorite sides to serve with veal ossobuco:
📖 Recipe
Braised Veal Shanks with Gremolata (Ossobuco)
Equipment
- 1 Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 4 veal shanks about 1-1.5 inches thick
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 Rosemary sprig fresh
- 3 Bay leaves
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- ½ cup carrot finely chopped
- ½ cup celery finely chopped
- 1 bottle dry rosé wine
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 14.5 oz (1 can) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- ¼ cup Italian parsley finely chopped
- Zest of 1 orange finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Dry each veal shank very well. You will cook the whole shank with the bone for this recipe. Tie each shank so the meat stays on the bone when cooking. Sprinkle each shank with salt and pepper on all surfaces. Heat a large Dutch oven or braising pot on high for a minute and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sear the veal shanks, in batches if necessary, until golden brown on all sides. About 3-4 minutes in total. Set the shanks aside.4 veal shanks, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the same Dutch oven or braising pot, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until the onions are opaque. If they start to brown that’s fine, but they are done at this point. Add the rosemary, cinnamon, bay leaves, a small amount (½ cup) of the wine, and the tomato paste. Stir and cook until the wine and tomato paste have incorporated - about 30 seconds.4 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Rosemary sprig, 3 Bay leaves, 1 small cinnamon stick, 1 medium yellow onion, ½ cup carrot, ½ cup celery, 1 bottle dry rosé wine, 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- Next, place the veal shanks back into the Dutch oven. Add the remaining wine, crushed tomatoes, and vegetable stock. The liquid should come ¾ up the sides of the veal shanks. If there is not enough liquid add some more stock or water. If there is too much then just add some of the vegetable stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and remove from the heat.1 bottle dry rosé wine, 14.5 oz (1 can) crushed tomatoes, 1 cup vegetable stock
- Immediately place the ossobuco into the oven, covered. Cook for 2 ½ hours, checking at the 1 and 2 hour marks to ensure that the liquid has not evaporated too much. If it has evaporated to expose more than half of the veal shanks, add a little more stock or water to bring the level back up.
- Combine the parsley, orange zest, garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to serve the ossobuco.¼ cup Italian parsley, Zest of 1 orange, 2 cloves garlic, Juice of 1 lemon
- Remove the veal shanks from the braising liquid and plate. Cut off the string before serving. Top the veal shank with some of the braising liquid and finish with the summer gremolata on top.
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