Traditional Beef Shank Ossobuco Alla Milanese (No Tomato)
This is the traditional recipe for Ossobuco alla Milanese, a veal or beef shank slow-cooked to tender perfection with wine and bone marrow stock. What makes this dish unique is the valuable bone marrow inside the bone, which is served whole for maximum flavor. This is the traditional recipe with the essential final touch of lemon zest, just like the one I had when living in Milan. The authentic Milanese recipe uses no tomato sauce.
Servings 2 people
Calories 573kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Veal or beef shank about 500 g - 1lb
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup brown beef stock made with bone marrow
- ½ lemon zest
- ½ filet anchovies stored in salt
- 1 peeled garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt & pepper
- 2 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Use a large pot or Dutch oven, wide enough to fit the shanks.
- Pat the veal shanks dry and inspect the meat; if your butcher hasn't already done so, make shallow cuts into the connective tissue around the edges to prevent the meat from curling as it cooks.
- Lightly dredge the shanks in the plain flour, shaking off the excess.
- In the pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
- Sear the shanks until deeply golden-brown on both sides—this browning is essential for developing the deep flavor.
- Pour in the dry white wine, increase the heat, and let it bubble. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan to incorporate them into the liquid. Let the wine reduce by half to concentrate the flavor and remove the alcohol.
- Pour in enough bone broth or stock to reach about two-thirds of the way up the meat. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, then cover the pot with a lid.
- Slow-cook the ossobuco for 1 hour, or until the meat is fork-tender. The sauce will thicken naturally from the melted connective tissue.
- If the sauce seems too thin, remove the lid for the last 15 minutes of cooking to allow some liquid to evaporate and reduce. The goal is a velvety, deep sauce.
- In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the lemon zest, garlic, anchovy filet (it will melt in the pan), and chopped parsley directly to the pot.
- Let the juice and the meat absorb the flavor. Remove the pot from the heat.
- Carefully lift the ossobuco shanks and place them on individual serving plates. Spoon the pan sauce over the meat. Serve immediately
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 573kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 200mg | Sodium: 1471mg | Potassium: 862mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 688IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 4mg
