Easy osso buco

9
Points®
Total Time
2 hr 14 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
1 hr 54 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Moderate
Italian osso buco—pronounced oh-so boo-co and literally translated as bone hole—is a classic recipe from the Lombardy region near the city of Milan. The name of the dish refers to the marrow hole found in a cross-section of veal shank, which is the preferred cut, though sometimes oxtails are also used. While traditional osso buco is most definitely an Italian preparation, herbes de Provence, an herb blend common in southern French cooking, contributes just the right dose of rustic, woodsy flavor. Like most braised meat dishes, the flavors come together with time and leftovers are delicious. Don't hesitate to make this the day before you plan to serve it and gently reheat it when you are ready to enjoy it.

Ingredients

Uncooked veal shank

28 oz, trimmed of all visible fat, 4 (7-ounce)

Table salt

½ tsp

Black pepper

tsp, freshly ground

Olive oil

1 tsp, extra-virgin

Carrots

4 medium, cut into 1⁄4-inch dice

Celery

3 rib(s), medium, cut into 1⁄4-inch dice

Red onion

1 medium, coarsely chopped

Garlic

3 clove(s), minced

Reduced sodium chicken broth

1½ cup(s)

Plum tomato

14½ oz, can, Italian, broken up

White wine

cup(s), dry

Herbes de Provence

1 tsp, or dried thyme

Cooked long grain brown rice

2 cup(s), hot

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Sprinkle the veal shanks with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a nonstick ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the veal shanks and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the veal to a plate.
  3. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and 1⁄4 cup of the broth to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 4 minutes. Return the veal with any accumulated juices to the pot. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, the remaining 1 1⁄4 cups broth, the wine, and herbes de Provence; bring to a boil. Cover the pot and put in the oven. Braise until the veal is very tender, about 1 1⁄2 hours.
  4. Transfer the veal shanks to a platter; keep warm. Cook the sauce and vegetables in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the liquid is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Pour the sauce and vegetables over the veal and serve with the rice. Yields 1 veal shank, 3⁄4 cup vegetables and 1⁄2 cup rice per serving.

Notes

Herbes de Provence is usually a blend of thyme, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, and lavender. It is found in specialty-food stores and in some large supermarkets. If your Dutch oven doesn’t have ovenproof handles, cover them with heavy-duty foil.After cooking, remove the veal from the bones. Discard the bones, cut the veal into bite-size chunks, and return to the Dutch oven with the vegetables.