Classic Osso Bucco

Meltingly tender meat slow cooked in a vegetable and tomato sauce, classically Italian. Serve it with a simple mash, polenta and or even pasta.

The gremolata helps cut through the richness of this dish.

Serves 4

Cooking Time: Approx 2 1/2 Hrs.  

Ingredients

·      2 tbsp olive oil

·      1 tbsp butter

·      Plain flour to coat meat – 1-2 tbsp

·      salt and pepper to season

·      1kg free range Osso Bucco

·      1 brown onion diced

·      2 large carrots diced

·      2 small sticks celery diced

·      3 garlic cloves finely diced

·      1 cup white wine (can be replaced with more stock if you wish not to use wine)

·      1 cup chicken stock (or beef, veal or veg stock also work!)

·      400g can diced tomatoes (or 2 cups fresh diced tomatoes)

Fresh Gremolata

·    1 bunch parsley -remove stalks

·      2 tsp lemon zest

·      1 garlic clove

Method 

Preheat oven to 160°C.

Heat half the oil and all the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until softened. Tip cooked veg into heavy pot and set aside, reuse frypan for next step.

Season your flour with salt and pepper. Coat meat well and shake off any excess flour. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the meat and cook until well browned and caramelised all over. Remove from the frypan and lay on top of cooked vegetables in your pot.

Reheat the frypan to high and add the wine. Bring to a boil and scrape all the tasty bits off the base of the pan. Stir in the tomatoes and stock and bring back to the boil. Pour over the meat and veg in the pot. The meat should be covered by the liquid. Cover with a lid and cook for 1 1/2-2 hours in the oven (or can be cooked on the stovetop at a simmer).

Check at 45 mins that the meat is still covered with sauce – if not add a little extra water or stock and cook for another 45 mins.

Make gremolata.  Place the parsley leaves on a cutting board. Top with garlic and lemon zest. Finely chop till combined. Transfer to serving bowl and set aside. The flavours will develop on sitting.

When ready the meat is very tender and will fall apart with forks. If you want to thicken the sauce lift the cooked meat out into a bowl and keep warm. Put the sauce back in the oven or onto the stove top for 10-15 mins until it thickens.

Serve with a simple mash sprinkled with the gremolata.