Veal osso buco, a classic Italian dish made by braising veal shanks in a fragrant sauce until fall apart tender. Serve it on a bed of creamy polenta and top with citrus gremolata to brighten up the flavors of this decadent, yet easy dish!
There’s nothing more heavenly than the aroma of osso buco braising in the oven on a cold day. I enjoy it served on a bed of creamy polenta to create a complete comfort food meal!
Veal osso buco is a classic northern Italian dish, from Lombardy to be precise. Although the original recipe is not made with tomatoes, I enjoy this variation with tomatoes. The fragrant sauce used for braising the meat is perfect for serving with polenta, risotto or even mashed potatoes, if you prefer.
It is particularly delicious served with a citrus gremolata, a fancy name for a combination of parsley, garlic and lemon zest tossed together. A light sprinkling of gremolata over your osso buco elevates and brightens up the flavors of this dish!
What is osso buco?
Osso buco literally translates as bone with a hole. It consists of cross-cut shanks with the marrow in the center (as shown).
The marrow infuses the sauce with a delicious, rich flavor. And don’t forget to eat it as well. Just reach in with a small spoon to scoop it out!
This is a tough cut of meat and therefore requires a long braising period to tenderize it.
Although osso buco is usually made with veal shanks, they can be quite expensive and sometimes difficult to find. Other more economical choices include beef or pork shanks.
Why this recipe works
- This dish has lots of flavor yet is made with simple ingredients such as a soffrito (onions, carrots, celery and garlic); herbs (thyme, rosemary and bay leaves) as well as wine, tomatoes and chicken broth all combined to create a rich, fragrant sauce.
- It requires very little prep: just enough time to chop up your vegetables and brown the meat, then place this one pot dish in the oven and forget about it for the next 2 1/2 hours!
- The meat is slowly braised until it is fall apart tender, no need for a knife!
- Serve with polenta (check out my easy baked, no stirring required polenta recipe), risotto or mashed potatoes for a complete meal.
- Don’t skip the gremolata! This simple garnish elevates the flavors of this dish.
Ingredient list:
- Veal shanks
- All-purpose flour
- Olive oil
- Carrots, diced
- Celery stalks, diced
- Onion, diced
- Garlic cloves, finely minced
- Bay leaves
- Thyme sprigs
- Sprig of rosemary
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- Tomato paste
- Red wine
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Chicken broth
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the gremolata:
- Flat leaf parsley
- Garlic, finely minced
- Lemon zest
For the polenta:
- 1 recipe of my easy oven baked creamy polenta
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
How to make Veal Osso Buco with Gremolata
- You will need a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed oven safe pot. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place flour in a shallow plate. Salt and pepper both sides of the veal shanks and dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess.
- Heat olive oil on medium high in your dutch oven. When the oil is hot, brown the veal shanks on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the dutch oven and set aside on a plate.
- Add carrots, celery, onions, garlic, to the pot, stir well scraping up the bits of meat and flour at the bottom. If the pan is too dry, add a little extra olive oil.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the red wine and cook, allowing the wine to evaporate, about 3 minutes.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes, chicken broth and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Nestle the veal shanks in the sauce, add the bay leaves, thyme and rosemary. Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, or until fork tender.
- Prepare 1 recipe easy oven baked creamy polenta.
- Meanwhile to prepare the gremolata, finely chop the parsley and combine with the garlic and lemon zest. Mix well.
- To serve, spoon some polenta on each plate, top with osso buco and ladle some sauce on top. Sprinkle with gremolata.
Recipe Notes
Without a doubt, veal shanks can be quite pricey. You may substitute beef or pork shanks instead. Follow the same recipe and braise until fork tender.
-Although I prefer the deep color and flavor of red wine, osso buco can also be made with white wine.
-The chicken broth may be replaced with beef broth.
–Gremolata can be made with orange zest instead of lemon zest.
-The polenta can be served as is, or stir in a few spoonfuls of grated Parmigiano cheese when you remove it from the oven.
-Creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, risotto or even pasta.
Leftovers (although I doubt you’ll have any!) keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below!
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Check out more meat and poultry main dish recipes!
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Roasted Chicken with Potatoes, Onions and Raisins
- Polpettone with Hard Boiled Eggs
- Sicilian Veal Involtini
- Coniglio in Agrodolce
- Spinach and Mushroom Filled Rolled Meatloaf
- Bacon Covered Turkey Roulade with Mushroom Roulade
- Italian Stuffed Chicken
- Baked Breaded Chicken Cutlets
Ingredients
- 4 veal shanks
- 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 3-4 sprigs thyme
- 1 sprig rosemary
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine
- 28 oz. canned diced tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
For the gremolata
- 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley chopped fine
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1 lemon, zested
Polenta
- 1 recipe Easy Oven Baked Creamy Polenta
Instructions
For the osso buco
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place flour in a shallow plate. Salt and pepper both sides of the veal shanks and dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess.
- Heat olive oil on medium high in a large dutch oven. When oil is hot, brown the veal shanks on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the dutch oven and set aside on a plate.       Â
- Add carrots, celery, onions, and garlic, to the pot, stir well scraping up the bits of meat and flour at the bottom. Cook for 5 minutes. If the pan is too dry, add a little extra oliveoil.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the red wine and cook, allowing the wine to evaporate, about 3 minutes. Pour in the diced tomatoes, chicken broth and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil.      Â
- Nestle the veal shanks in the sauce along with the bay leaves, thyme and rosemary. Cover with a lid and place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours or until fork tender.
For the gremolata
- Meanwhile prepare the gremolata, finely chop the parsley and combine with the garlic and lemon zest. Mix well.
To serve
- Remove the sprigs of rosemary and thyme and discard.
- To serve, spoon some polenta on each plate, top with osso buco and ladle some sauce over it. Sprinkle with gremolata.
Notes
-The chicken broth may be replaced with beef broth.
–Gremolata can be made with orange zest instead of lemon zest.
-The polenta can be served as is, or stir in a few spoonfuls of grated Parmigiano cheese when you remove it from the oven. What can you serve osso buco with? Creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, risotto or even pasta. How long does osso buco keep for? Leftovers (although I doubt you’ll have any!) keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days. Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact ingredients used and portion size. Â
Delicious! Haven’t had this for ages but your post made me very nostalgic.. I’ve only had it paired with risotto but it sounds lovely with polenta, too.
Hi Frank, it’s definitely not something we make often around here. Once a year at most, I guess that’s why we really enjoy it. The sauce that the veal shanks are braised in is perfect for flavoring the polenta. Thanks!