Beef osso buco

We have some some beautiful beef osso buco in the shop this week - perfect for this recipe! --Ian

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 4 2cm thick beef osso buco, fat trimmed (250g pieces)
  • 1 brown onion, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 parsnips, large pieces
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • ½ cup plain flour
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 cup veal or beef stock
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
  • Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 160ºC. Dust osso buco in seasoned flour and shake off excess.
  2. Heat oil in a wide cast iron pan and cook osso buco on both sides until golden brown. Set meat aside. Add onion, celery and parsnip and cook until golden. Add wine and allow to boil for 1 minute. Place meat on top of vegetables in a single layer if possible.
  3. Add tomatoes, stock to just cover meat and garlic and rosemary. Press a round of baking paper onto meat, cover with lid and cook in oven for 1 ½- 1 ¾ hours until meat is very tender. Check half way through and add a little extra stock to cover meat if needed.
  4. For gremolata, combine ingredients in a small bowl, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Serve osso buco with gremolata, mash and silverbeet.

Essential Tips

  • To make a cartouche (a round of baking paper) place the casserole lid on a piece of baking paper and trace around it. Cut out the baking paper inside the line so it is a little smaller than the lid. Poke a small hold in the centre of the baking paper for steam to escape. Placing this 'cartouche' onto the meat keeps the surface of the meat moist and tender.
  • Spinach can be substituted with silverbeet or cavalo nero (Tuscan kale).
  • You can cook the osso buco on the stovetop instead of the oven, just be sure to use a low flame so it doesn't burn.
  • Instead of wine you can add extra stock and a splash of vinegar. Try red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar.
  • If you don't have a cast iron dish, transfer vegetables and liquid into a casserole dish, nestle meat in amongst vegetables, cover meat with baking paper and cover casserole dish tightly with foil.

Simon Garlick