Ella Walter
Osso Bucco is a classic Italian dish that is often found on the menus of fancy restaurants. However, it is surprisingly simple to prepare, especially in a slow cooker like a crock pot. This cooking method allows you to create a rich, flavour-packed dish with minimal effort, making it perfect for busy people or for impressing dinner guests. The result is a tender, falling-apart meat dish that can be served over noodles, mashed potatoes, polenta, or other sides.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Dish | Main Course |
| Cuisine | Italian |
| Main Ingredients | Veal or Beef Shanks, Flour, Butter, Olive Oil, Onion, Carrots, Celery, Garlic, Tomatoes, Chicken/Beef Broth, Salt, Pepper, Thyme, Oregano, Bay Leaf |
| Optional Ingredients | Red Wine, Parsley, Lemon Zest, Cornstarch, Water |
| Cooking Method | Slow Cooker/Crockpot |
| Cooking Time | High for 3-4 hours or Low for 6-8 hours |
| Serving Suggestions | Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, Polenta, Rice, Farro, Cauliflower Mash, Cauliflower Rice |
| Special Notes | Can thicken sauce using a "Beurre Manie" (50/50 flour and butter paste) |
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What You'll Learn
Ingredients and preparation
Osso Bucco is an Italian classic that is perfect for chilly nights or impressing your dinner guests. This rich, flavour-packed dish can be prepared with minimal fuss, especially when using a slow cooker.
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1/3 cup chopped carrots
- 1/3 cup chopped celery
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1-1/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
- 3/4 cup beef broth
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 large spring fresh rosemary
- 4 shanks - beef, veal, or lamb
- Flour
- Butter
- Oregano
- Bay leaf
Preparation:
First, dust the meat in seasoned flour. This will create a sauce while the meal is cooking. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of butter, and when it foams, add the shanks to the skillet. Cook until golden, turning once, about 10 minutes. Transfer the shanks to a slow cooker.
Next, add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, black pepper, thyme, and rosemary to the slow cooker. Season the shanks with salt and pepper, then sear over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Nestle them into the sauce in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours—the meat will be very tender and almost falling off the bone.
For a thicker sauce, mix together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water. Add that to your reduced sauce mixture and heat until the sauce is thickened to your liking.
Serve the veal shanks topped with the sauce and a sprinkle of gremolata—a zesty, garlicky herb mixture made by combining parsley, lemon zest, and garlic.
Osso Bucco is good served over noodles, mashed potatoes, polenta, or rice.
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Cooking methods
Osso Buco is an Italian classic that is bursting with flavour and is perfect for chilly winter nights. It is a simple dish to prepare, especially in a slow cooker.
To cook Osso Buco in a crock pot, first, season the veal shanks with salt and pepper and dredge them in flour. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add butter. Once it foams, add the shanks and cook until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer the shanks to the crock pot. Add wine to the skillet and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Pour the contents of the skillet into the crock pot.
Next, add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot: tomatoes and their juices, chicken broth, onion, carrot, celery, and thyme. You can also add beef broth, black pepper, rosemary, and tomato paste. Cover the crock pot and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours. The meat will be very tender and almost falling off the bone.
For a thicker sauce, you can create a "Beurre Manie" by kneading together equal parts flour and butter to form a paste. Remove some of the liquid from the crock pot and cook it in a frying pan with the Beurre Manie until the sauce thickens. Then, add it back to the crock pot and mix well.
Finally, serve the Osso Buco over noodles, mashed potatoes, polenta, or rice. It pairs well with a glass of red wine, such as a Syrah, Chianti Classico, Barbaresco, or Barolo.
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Serving suggestions
Osso buco is a delicious Italian classic that can be served in a variety of ways. Here are some serving suggestions to make the most of this tender and flavourful dish:
Noodles or Pasta
Osso buco pairs well with noodles. You can also serve it over pasta, although this is not Whole30-compatible.
Mashed Potatoes
For a hearty and comforting meal, serve your osso buco with creamy mashed potatoes. This option is also Whole30-compatible.
Polenta
Creamy polenta is another delicious option to serve with osso buco, providing a soft and creamy base for the tender meat.
Rice or Couscous
Osso buco can also be served with boiled rice or couscous. These options are great for soaking up the delicious gravy that the dish creates.
Gremolata
Gremolata is a zesty, garlicky herb mixture that adds a bright touch to the dish. It is made by combining parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. This is a great way to freshen up the flavours of the osso buco.
Sides
Some side dish suggestions include beans, cauliflower mash, or truffled mashed potatoes.
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Sauce thickening
There are several ways to thicken the sauce when making osso buco in a crock pot. One method is to dust the meat with seasoned flour before cooking, which will help create a sauce as the meat cooks. Alternatively, you can make a beurre manié – a French cooking term for a mixture of equal parts flour and butter kneaded into a paste. This can be frozen and then added to the sauce at the end of cooking to thicken it.
Another option is to remove the shanks from the crock pot once they are cooked and transfer the sauce to a skillet. Simmer the sauce over medium heat until it reduces to your desired consistency, then season with salt and pepper. For an even thicker sauce, you can mix cornstarch and water and add this mixture to the sauce, heating until it reaches your desired thickness.
If you prefer a more traditional approach, you can dredge the shanks in flour before browning them. This will help to thicken the sauce as the flour cooks.
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Storage
Osso Buco is a delicious dish, and it can also be a convenient make-ahead meal. Once you've cooked this mouth-watering meal, you'll need to know how to store it properly so you can enjoy it again later.
Firstly, it's important to let the Osso Buco cool completely before storing it. Then, cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Make sure it's stored in an airtight container. Before reheating, remove any solidified fat from the surface of the sauce.
You can also freeze Osso Buco for future enjoyment. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months. Use freezer-safe airtight containers or zipper bags. When you're ready to enjoy it again, thaw it in the refrigerator for one day before reheating.
To reheat your Osso Buco, simply add your desired portion and braising liquid to a small pot and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. You can also reheat it in the oven or microwave, but be gentle so as not to overcook the meat.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need 1 tsp olive oil, 1/3 cup chopped onion, 1/3 cup chopped carrots, 1/3 cup chopped celery, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1-1/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes, 3/4 cup beef broth, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, 1 large spring of fresh rosemary, and 4 shanks of beef, veal, or lamb.
Saute the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt over medium heat until soft (8-10 minutes). Add the tomato paste, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to the crock pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, salt, and pepper to the crock pot.
Season the shanks with salt and pepper, then sear over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Nestle them into the sauce in the crock pot and add thyme and rosemary.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. The meat will be tender and almost falling off the bone.
You can thicken the sauce by dusting the meat in seasoned flour before cooking, or by making a "Beurre Manie" with equal parts flour and butter. You can also serve Osso Bucco with gremolata, a zesty and garlicky herb mixture made with parsley, lemon zest, and garlic.
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