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ossobuco alla milanese served over a bed of saffron risotto, and topped with gremolata.

Ossobuco alla Milanese

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 401kcal
This traditional ossobuco recipe is rich, full of flavour and super easy to make at home. Serve on any occasion for the perfect Italian meal.
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Ingredients

  • 4 veal shanks 1 ½ inches thick, 9-12 oz each
  • 3 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or butter
  • ½ white onion finely chopped
  • ½ cup white wine (120 ml)
  • 2 cups vegetable or beef broth (480 ml)
  • sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
  • 1 garlic clove
  • zest of 1 organic lemon
  • handful fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

  • Make small incisions over the outer lining of the veal shunks. This will prevent the slices from curling during the cooking time.
  • Place the flour in a large bowl or shallow dish, and lightly flour the meat slices on both sides, shaking off the flour in excess.
  • Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat, add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring often to prevent it from burning.
  • Add in the veal shanks and brown them on both sides.
  • Turn the heat to medium, pour in the white wine, and let it evaporate, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Pour in enough stock so that the meat is just half-submerged in the liquid. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Lower the heat to a minimum, cover, and cook for about 1½ hours, adding a bit of broth when necessary, to keep the meat moist.
  • Right before you take the meat off the heat, prepare the gremolata. Finely chop together the garlic with the lemon zest and parsley, and mix all the ingredients together.
  • Remove the pot from the heat, top each slice of veal with the prepared gremolata, and serve with risotto alla milanese or your favorite side dish.

Notes

Ossobuco is naturally dairy-free if you use extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter. To make it gluten-free, simply substitute the all-purpose flour with rice flour.
STORAGE TIPS
Ossobuco tastes even better the next day! Store the cooked meat and its juices in an airtight container, and keep in the fridge up to 2 days. 
To serve, reheat, covered, in preheated oven to 150C /300F, for about 30 minutes, adding a little extra broth (or water) to prevent the meat from drying out.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 192mg | Potassium: 763mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2mg