OSSO BUCO
- Yield: 2
Description
Slow-cooked meals aren’t only to be enjoyed during autumn and winter – braised in a mixture of chicken broth and apple cider, this sweet and mellow osso buco is a scrumptiously comforting eat all year round!
Ingredients
Ghee or butter
Fine-grain pink Himalayan salt or sea salt and cracked black pepper
2 thick slices beef shank (about 275 g each)
450 g onions, finely diced
3–4 medium carrots (about 275 g), finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 heaping tbsp. garlic confit or roasted garlic or 3-4 cloves minced garlic (garlic confit and roasted garlic offers a subtle, mild garlic flavor)
1 can (156 ml) tomato paste
750 ml chicken broth
250 ml apple cider
4 dried bay leaves
2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 pinch red chili flakes (optional)
Fine-grain pink Himalayan salt or sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
1 handful curly-leaf parsley, chopped (you can add grated lemon zest and minced garlic too for a classic gremolata topping)
Instructions
Heat a large deep pan (I use a sauté pan) over medium/high heat and add some ghee.
Season the meat generously with salt and pepper and brown on both sides.
Remove the meat from the pan and set aside on a plate.
In the same pan, add onions (add more ghee if necessary).
Turn down the heat a bit (around medium) and cook onions until soft and translucent.
Add carrots and celery and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add garlic confit and tomato paste, combine well.
Add broth and apple cider to deglaze the pan.
Add bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and chili flakes.
Add the meat (…and any drippings on the plate, please) back to the pan.
Stir to combine everything.
Turn down the heat to low and let the dish simmer, lid ajar, for about 2 hours. Or place in the oven for 2 hours at 160°C. Once in awhile, carefully stir the dish.
Remove the lid and let the dish simmer and reduce yet another hour.
After a total ‘simmer time’ of 3 hours, the meat should be ‘fall of the bone’-tender and the sauce nicely thickened.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Remove bay leaves before serving.
Notes
TO SERVE
Serve the osso buco with your favorite side. Mash made of a regular potato and celery root (seasoned with PLENTY of garlic confit (you can use roasted garlic too), ghee, and liberal amounts of salt and pepper). Absolutely amazing with the sweet and mellow osso buco! Sprinkle with some chopped parsley or gremolata and live your best life!
ENJOY!
STORAGE AND SHELF LIFE
The osso buco stores well in the fridge for 3-4 days and for months in the freezer. I usually end up with leftover sauce, which I freeze and typically eat with pasta and some sort of protein later on – it’s so rich, flavourful, and delicious!