Bone with a Hole Anyone?

Anybody else notice it’s getting chilly out? It’s suddenly become stew weather, so why not dust off a recipe for one of the most famous braises of all, ossobuco. 

Simple, decadent, satisfying, ossobuco is a fantastic example of culinary alchemy, taking a tough, lean, ordinary cut of beef, and—through low and slow cooking—turning it into a moist, debaucherous show-stopper of a main course.

Originating in the fashion and finance mecca that is Lombardy Italy, ossobuco is a staple dish for those cold northern Italian winters when the kitchen hearth would help warm the home in addition to breaking down the least tender cuts of beef.

Milan claims the birthplace of this dish, and like most Italian cuisine, doesn’t look kindly on adulterating the recipe. However, ECB has taken a few liberties to give our ossobuco some modern holiday flare.

First—like any self-respecting butcher shop—we start with the protein. Rather than the traditional veal, we have chosen cross-cut 100% grass finished Lost Coast Beef. Although not as mild and sweet as veal, mature beef allows for a more robust sauce, and buttery marrow. The cut remains shank, preferably with a healthy portion of marrow bone; he higher up the hind shank, the better.

Milano locals favor dredging the meat in flour, but in a carb/gluten-phobic SoCal, we find a simple searing with pork or beef fat does the job of creating a flavorful crust. 

Another culinary liberty in our recipe is the absence of gremolata, the ubiquitous Northern Italian condiment made up of parsley, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Instead, Chef Michael sticks with a basic soffritto and offers optional apple cider and baking spices if you want to tang things up. 

Regardless of the choices, ossobuco is a joy to eat, whether it’s poured over risotto, polenta, egg noodles, or eaten straight out of the pot. Enjoy!

Braised Osso Bucco Beef Shanks 

Ingredients:

Two cross-cut beef shanks (preferably grass-finished and from the hind legs)
One carrot medium dice
One stock of celery medium dice
Half an onion medium dice
One Bayleaf
3 cloves of garlic smashed
2 tablespoons of fat (beef or pork preferred) for searing
Quart and a half ECB Mixed Bone Broth
Tablespoon of salt
2 teaspoons herbs to Provence

Directions:
Sprinkle some of the measured salt on both sides of the beef shank cuts & let sit 20 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 300°

·       In a Dutch Over or high-walled oven-proof pan, warm fat over medium high heat until just smoking; add shanks and brown for 7 to 10 minutes on each side. 

·       Remove beef from the pan, reduce heat and add vegetables. 

·       Sauté vegetables until browned then deglaze the pan with broth. 

·       Add beef back to the pan, cover and place in the oven for 3 1/2 to 4 hours at 300° until fork tender

Seasonal Variation

Use half broth half apple cider, add half chopped apple, 1tsp cinnamon, and 2 tsp ancho chili powder.