Ossobuco alla Milanese
Tom Ashworth Demo- Makes
- 12 servings
- Active
- 1 h 7 min
- Total
- 2 h 15 min
You’ll Need stockpot with lid, large sauté pan or braiser with lid (wide enough to hold the four shanks in one layer), kitchen scissors, fine sieve, zester or microplane
Method
Meat Broth
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Heat the in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the and toast them on both sides for .
bones are browned in patches[object Object]
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Add the , and and sauté for more.
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Pour in the to cover, put the lid on and bring to the boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about from the boil. Keep it hot for the braise.
a lazy simmer with only the odd bubble breakingthe broth smells meaty and has turned light amberSafe to pause here[object Object]
Ossobuco
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Heat a swirl of the in a large sauté pan, add the and stew them over medium-low heat for .
soft and starting to turn golden[object Object]
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Pour in and let the alcohol cook off completely, then lower the heat a little and cook the onions for more. Lift them out and set aside.
onions deeply golden and jammy[object Object]
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Meanwhile, with scissors, make three short cuts through the membrane around the edge of each of the so they stay flat as they cook.
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Season the with and in a shallow dish. Dredge the shanks on both sides and shake off the excess.
only a thin, even dusting clings to the meat -
Add the rest of the oil and the to the onion pan. When the butter has melted and foams, lay in the shanks and brown them over medium-high heat without moving them, then turn and brown the other side.
a deep golden crust on both sidesthe meat releases easily from the pan[object Object]
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Pour in the and let it evaporate. Ladle in enough hot broth to almost cover the meat, then return the onions to the pan.
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Cover, lower the heat and braise for , turning the shanks halfway through. Take the lid off for the last so the sauce reduces.
meat is tender enough to cut with a spoonsauce has thickened and coats the shanks[object Object]
Gremolada
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While the meat braises, drop the into boiling water for to tame it, then drain. You can skip this for a sharper gremolada.
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Chop the garlic and the together very finely.
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Once the ossobuco is done, turn off the heat, scatter the parsley and garlic over it and grate the directly on top. Serve at once, spooning the sauce over the meat.
the lemon and parsley smell fresh and sharp over the hot sauce
From Tom Ashworth
This is the white Milanese ossobuco, made without tomato so the sweetness of slowly stewed onions and the richness of the marrow carry the sauce. A quick homemade broth gives the braise real body, and the gremolata, stirred in only at the end, cuts through it all with fresh lemon and garlic.
Notes
- Stop the curl. Snip the membrane around each shank in three places before flouring, or the slices buckle in the pan and brown unevenly.
- Milder garlic. Blanching the peeled, de-germed cloves for two minutes softens their bite in the gremolata. Skip it if you like it punchy.
- Use unwaxed lemon for the zest, and take only the yellow part.
- Broth shortcut. Good ready-made beef or veal broth can replace the homemade one; you need roughly enough to almost cover the meat.
- Serve with Risotto alla Milanese, the traditional partner, or with soft polenta or mashed potatoes. Give everyone a small spoon for the marrow.
Storage
Keeps 3 days in the fridge in its sauce, and tastes even better the next day. Reheat gently, covered, adding a splash of broth. Add fresh gremolata when serving.
Make Ahead
Make the broth a day or two ahead. The whole braise can be cooked the day before and reheated; make the gremolata just before serving.
When to Start
Plan backwards from a time
Filed under Main · Southern Europe › Italy › Lombardy · Veal · Stew · Braising · Ossobuco. Tags: #gremolata, #sunday lunch.