Ossobuco d’Agnello 0
This time of year provides the perfect excuse to break out some of the recipes that I would never make the rest of the year. Which, in central Texas, means that I have only about 3 months to indulge in some of my favorite comfort foods.
Ossobuco is one of them. With the rich lamb, sauce, and risotto, it’s a wonderful accompaniment to a cold night.
The name literally means “bone with a hole” (osso – bone; buco – hole). Ossobuco is a dish (legendarily) created in the Milano area in northern Italy in the 19th century. Some say it was created by local farmers as a way to cook tougher cuts of meat (i.e. shanks – the shin portion of the leg. The fore shank is the bottom part of the shin; the hind shnk the upper part of the shin.); others, it was created in an osteria.
The original recipe is made with veal shanks, cinnamon, and bay leaves with no tomato. The more modern and more popular version is made with tomatoes, vegetables, and red wine. And, while veal shank is still used widely, lamb shank is gaining in popularity.
As for myself, I prefer the lamb shanks. I find they have far more flavor. And, if you can get hind shanks, more meat for the money.
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A few notes:
1. In this example, I’m using fore shanks. The butcher I bought these from didn’t have hind shanks that day. But, they were large and worked well in this dish. Also, I bought these still in the cryovac packaging. The butcher had received them from the farm that morning and they hadn’t been fully trimmed yet. More than likely, the shanks you buy will be already trimmed and ready to go.
2. If you prefer not to use wine, then you can omit it all together. As substitutions for red wine you can use extra stock for deglazing (you can add 1 tablespoon red wine or balsamic vinegar per 1 cup of stock for tartness), or 100% cranberry or pomegranate juice; for white wine, you can use extra chicken or vegetable stock (you can add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar to 1 cup of stock for tartness), verjus (a juice made from unripe green grapes), or unsweetened apple cider or juice.
3. The traditional accompaniment for this dish is risotto. However, of you prefer, you can also serve this with polenta, mashed potatoes, or pasta. If you do use pasta, use a shaped pasta (such as campenelle or rotini) or a wide pasta (such as paprdelle or bucatini).
4. Gremolata is served alongside the Ossobuco as a way to cut through the richness of the dish.
The ingredients for everything.
The ingredients for the Ossobuco.
The produce: Starting from top left – lemon zest, garlic; middle, from top – carrots, celery, onion; right, from top – thyme, rosemary
Lamb shank fresh from the farm. If you can get hind shanks, do so. These fore shanks were great. I just had to clean them.
Cleaning the lamb shank. You must remove the silverskin (or have your butcher do it). It doesn’t cook down and your meat will be chewy and tough.
The cleaned lamb shank. Admittedly not perfect, but a whole lot better.
Lamb Ossobuco
4 large lamb shanks (preferably hind shanks)
Salt
Flour
3 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 lg. onion, minced
2 carrots, peeled, either diced or cut into thin rounds
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cl. garlic, minced
1/2 c. tomato paste
1 c. dry red wine
2 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
1 ea. 2″ strip lemon zest
2 – 3 c. chicken or beef broth (or a combination of both), more if needed
Salt & Pepper to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly sprinkle salt on the lamb shanks. Then, lightly flour the them, shaking off any excess flour. Set aside.
2. In a large Dutch oven or a deep, stove-proof casserole dish, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the lamb shanks and sear until browned. Cook the them in batches if needed. Remove the shanks from the heat and set aside.
Browning the shanks. Do this in batches if you need to; don’t crowd the pan or the shanks will steam and not brown.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the vegetables and garlic and saute until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
Sauteing the vegetables.
Add in the tomato paste and cook another 3 – 4 minutes.
Adding the tomato paste. Let the paste cook until it begins to turn a burnt orange color. This is the sugar caramelizing and helps to deepen the flavor.
Add in the red wine to deglaze the pan and cook another 5 – 7 minutes to reduce the wine and soften the flavor.
Cooking down the wine.
Then, add the rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Simmer another 2 – 3 minutes.
Adding the lemon zest, rosemary, and thyme.
4. Lay the reserved shanks on top of the vegetables and add just enough broth to come halfway up the shanks.
Ready for the oven.
Cover the casserole or Dutch oven and place in the oven. Cook for 2 to 2-1/2 hours (flipping the meat halfway through) or until the meat is tender. Check for liquid content, adding more if needed.
5. After you take the baking dish out of the oven, remove the shanks and set aside.
So tender, it’s falling off the bone.
If you like, set the baking dish on the stove over medium-high heat to reduce the sauce. Remove the rosemary and thyme stalks and discard.
I like to reduce the sauce a bit to concentrate the flavor. It’s up to you, however.
6. Traditionally, the shank is served whole with the risotto and Gremolata. However, if you prefer (and I do if I use fore shanks), trim the meat off the bone and mix it back into the sauce; then serve with the Risotto and Gremolata.
The meat trimmed off the bone. I prefer to do this if I use fore shanks.
The meat back in the sauce. You can do this if you want to help stretch the meat. I like to do it when I use fore shanks.
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The ingredients
Saffron. The world’s most expensive spice (currently about $3000/lb.). It comes from the stamen of the Crocus flower. It takes approximately 50,000 – 75,000 flowers to make one pound of saffron.
Be sure to buy saffron that is in it’s whole form. Don’t buy powdered saffron; it’s usually cut with turmeric.
Risotto alla Milanese
6 c. stock – beef, chicken, lamb, or vegetable
1 tsp. saffron, crushed
4 tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. carnaroli or arborrio rice
1/2 c. dry white wine
3/4 c. fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Salt & Pepper to taste
1. Bring 5 cups of the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and keep the stock warm. In a small saucepan heat the remaining 1 cup of stock with the saffron. Again, reduce the heat to low and keep warm.
2. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened, about 5 – 7 minutes.
Sauteing the onion and garlic.
Add in the rice and sauté, stirring constantly, another 5 minutes.
Adding the rice. This will help to flavor the rice and begin the cooking process.
Add a pinch or two of salt, stir again, and add in the wine. Stir constantly until the wine has been absorbed by the rice.
Adding the wine. At this point, constant stirring of the rice will help to release the starch.
3. Lower the heat under the rice to medium. Begin adding the 5 cups of stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until the broth has been absorbed.
Adding the broth. Be sure to constantly stir the rice.
After you have added the 3rd cup of broth, add in the broth with the saffron. Continue stirring.
Adding the saffron broth. Now, the risotto will become its classic yellow color.
4. After you have added the 5th cup of stock, begin testing the rice to make sure it is al dente. You may not need all the broth. When the rice is al dente (or to your liking), add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the Parmigiano. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Adding the butter and parmesan.
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The Gremolata Ingredients
Gremolata
Zest of 2 lemons
1 bunch of Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, minced
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive oil
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and serve along side the Ossobuco.
The finished Gremolata. Easy.
Buon Giorno.
Buon Apetito!
