White Osso Bucco
Submitted by gloriahb48
Osso bucco in bianco, the white Milanese version braised in white wine without tomato. Veal shanks go fall-off-the-bone tender, finished with fresh lemon zest and parsley gremolata.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
3 hrsREADY
3 hrsThis is osso bucco’s older, more restrained sibling. Before tomatoes arrived in Lombardy from the New World, Milanese cooks braised veal shanks in white wine alone, finishing with a bright stir of lemon zest and parsley. The modern red-sauce version is what most Americans know, but this is the Italian original.
Just six ingredients: floured veal shanks, olive oil, butter, white wine, lemon, parsley. No onion, no carrot, no stock. The silence lets the veal’s rich marrow and the wine’s acidity do all the talking, with the fresh lemon-parsley finish waking up the whole braise at the end.
Serve classically over saffron risotto alla Milanese. Scoop the marrow from the bone with a small spoon; that’s the best bite of the entire plate.
Chef Tips
- Flour the shanks just before browning, not earlier. Wet veal dusted with flour ahead of time turns gummy and refuses to brown properly.
- Brown the shanks hard and don’t rush it. A deep brown crust is where the final sauce flavor lives.
- Add the wine gradually and don’t fully cover the meat. The rule is ‘nearly, not quite’ exactly as the recipe says. This keeps the tops exposed so they don’t poach.
- Use a wide, well-fitting lid. Escaping steam means a dry braise, and dry braising ruins the whole 2½-hour investment.
Variations
- Make a traditional gremolata by adding minced garlic to the lemon zest and parsley before stirring in.
- Serve over soft polenta or creamy mashed potatoes instead of risotto.
- Substitute chicken stock for half the wine if you want a mellower, less acidic sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
Dredge the veal shank pieces well in flour.
In a large skillet with high sides, heat the olive oil and butter over moderately high heat until the butter stops foaming.
If you do not have a skillet large enough to accommodate all of the meat in a single layer, use two smaller pans.
Add the veal shanks to the skillet and arrange in a single layer.
Cook over moderately high heat until browned on one side.
Add a generous amount of salt and pepper.
Turn meat and brown the other side, and add salt and pepper.
Add enough white wine to nearly, but not quite, cover the meat.
Reduce heat to a barely bubbling simmer.
Cover with a well-fitting lid.
Cook at a simmer for 2½ hours.
Peel a thin layer of rind from the lemon.
Cut rind into fine strips.
Remove veal shanks to a warm plate.
The meat will be falling-off-the-bone tender, so a wide spatula is advised for this step to keep each shank intact.
Keep meat warm through the next several steps.
Add lemon peel and chopped parsley to the sauce and place over high heat.
Boil vigorously for several minutes to reduce sauce slightly.
Stir to loosen any brown bits from the pan and then frequently to prevent burning.
Remove from heat and return shanks to skillet.
Spoon sauce over shanks and replace skillet lid.
Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes to reheat shanks.
Serve with sauce over shanks.
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