Osso Bucco

This recipe blew my mind, modified from Giada's and Tyler's offa Food Network (took the good aspects of each recipe and merged them):

Osso Bucco

2-4 lbs of veal, goat or lamb shanks, HAS to be a cut with a large bone in it
3 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 tbs lemon zest
sprig of rosemary
pinch of ground cloves (or 3 whole cloves)
salt and pepper
1 tbs tomato paste
1/2 can peeled diced tomatoes
3 c chicken stock
1 c sweet Marsala wine
1 c Aventinus dark German beer (or other very malty + yeasty beer)
flour for dredging
olive oil for sealing
3 large carrots roughly diced
3 stalks celery roughly diced
1 large onion roughly diced

Start by heating large deep crockpot (or similiar large pot) and add 1 tbs olive oil. Dredge all the shanks on flour and shake off excess, add to pot once oil starts to smoke. Brown shanks on all sides and set aside. Add onions, garlic, celery and carrots, cook til onions are almost translucent. Now place shanks back in pot and add beer, Marsala, tomato paste, and reduce by almost half (10 min.). Place rosemary, bay leaves and cloves in small cheescloth bag and add to mixture. Add stock, lemon zest, tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste, making sure stock comes at least 1/2 to 3/4 up the sides of the shanks (add more chicken stock as needed) once entire mixture comes up to boil, reduce to simmer and cook covered for 2-3 hours (stirring ocassionally) until meat starts to fall from the bone. Remove spice bag and serve hot with Asiago cheese Orzo (or some tasty Italian starch dish). Make an extra large batch to be sure you have some insanely good leftovers!

reply to post by Aliquandro


Pork shank is also very tastey...Veal might strike an ethical dischord with some.