Beef Shank Osso Buco
Serves 6-8 people.
4.5 hours to cook (3 hours in oven & approx. 1.5 to prepare)
8 Beef shanks – 1 ½-2 in. thick
Salt
Pepper
Flour for dredging
2 Tbs. butter
¼ cup good olive oil
3 ¼ in. thick slices pancetta
2 cups onion finely chopped
1 cup carrots finely chopped
1 cup celery finely chopped
8 cloves garlic minced
1-28oz can diced tomatoes
1 ½ cups Chianti or other simple red wine
3 cups beef stock
1 bunch torn basil leaves
2 medium bay leaves
Directions: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Finely chop the onion, carrots and celery and mince garlic. Dice pancetta into small cubes. Season beef shanks with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour. In a non-stick fry pan, over medium high heat and working in batches, brown the beef in the oil and butter until the shanks are golden. Remove shanks and put in a large dutch oven.
In the same fry pan, sauté cubed pancetta until rendered down and crispy. Remove cracklings with slotted spoon and add to shanks in dutch oven. Quickly add the onion, carrots and celery to fry pan and sauté over medium high heat until veggies are tender adding garlic just before done.
Add canned tomatoes and continue cooking until tomatoes are soft. Add torn basil, bay leaves and generous amount of ground pepper.
Then add wine and turn up heat slightly to reduce the liquids. Pour contents of fry pan into dutch oven and pour 2 cups beef broth over ingredients. Gently move beef shanks to allow sauce to meld. Put covered pot in 350 degree heated oven. Check pot after 1 ¼ hours and add an additional cup beef broth. Turn oven down to 325 if sauce is boiling too rapidly. With a sharp tonged fork, check beef for tenderness and continue cooking for an additional 1 to 1 ½ hours until done. (Finished Osso Buco) *** Do not worry if bones become separated from meat. For some, bone marrow is a delicacy. Served with desired side dish (mashed potatoes, rice or polenta).