Italian Recipe Collection

main course meat

Milanese-Style Ossobuco (Ossobuco alla Milanese)

Ingredients

For the Gremolata

Instructions

  1. To prepare the Milanese-style ossobuco, start by preparing the meat broth that will be used to braise the shanks. Next, peel the onions and slice them into wedges. Heat half of the olive oil in a skillet, add the onions, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Pour in half of the white wine and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
  2. Once golden brown, remove the onions from the skillet (reserve the pan for the shanks) and set them aside. Take the veal shanks and, using kitchen shears, make 3 small snips into the connective tissue around the edges of each piece to prevent them from curling during cooking.
  3. Place the flour into a shallow dish, season with salt and pepper, and stir with a spoon. Dredge the veal shanks thoroughly in the seasoned flour on both sides, gently tapping off any excess.
  4. Pour the remaining olive oil into the skillet used for the onions. Place the veal shanks into the pan and sear them over medium-high heat without moving them. After about 4 minutes, gently flip them over; a crisp, golden-brown crust should have formed on the bottom.
  5. Sear the other side for about 2 minutes, then pour in the remaining white wine and allow the alcohol to evaporate. Add enough broth to nearly cover the meat, return the cooked onions to the pan, lower the heat, cover with a lid, and let simmer over medium-low heat for 35 minutes. In the meantime, peel the garlic cloves and remove their inner green germ.
  6. After 35 minutes of cooking, very gently turn the shanks over, cover again with the lid, and continue cooking for another 25 minutes. Meanwhile, wash the parsley and finely chop it together with the garlic cloves.
  7. Once the meat is tender and fully cooked, turn off the heat. Add the chopped parsley and garlic mixture directly to the skillet, then finish by grating the zest of an unwaxed lemon over the top. Your Milanese-style ossobuco is ready to serve and enjoy!