Slow Cooker Osso Buco

The Milanese masterclass, simplified.

Why you should cook this

The Milanese masterclass made hands-off. Four veal shanks, each tied with kitchen twine so they hold their shape through the long cook, dusted in seasoned flour, browned hard in a heavy pan, then dropped into the slow cooker with soffritto, white wine, San Marzano tomatoes, beef stock, rosemary and bay. Seven hours on low. The marrow goes silky in the bone, the meat falls off the bone, and the sauce thickens into the kind of dinner that makes a Tuesday feel like a Saturday.

Tie the shanks. Without the twine they fall apart in the cooker and the marrow swims out. Sydney butchers will tie them for you if you ask, which is a courtesy older than most of us. Make the gremolata while the shanks are cooking: parsley, garlic, lemon zest, finely chopped, mixed dry. Spoon a scoop over each plate at the table. Saffron risotto or soft polenta on the side. Open a Barbera or a Nebbiolo. Eat the marrow with a small spoon, on toast, in shame, in joy.

What to drink with it

A Barbera d’Alba, a Negroni (our recipe), or a glass of Aglianico. Crusty bread.

Notes from the kitchen

Veal shank, not beef shank. Veal has the marrow and tenderness. Beef takes twice as long. Tie each shank with kitchen twine. Stops them falling apart in the slow cooker.

The recipe

Slow Cooker Osso Buco

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 7 hours hrs

Total Time 7 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 serves

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

Osso Buco

• 4 veal shanks (about 250g each)
• 60 g plain flour
• 60 mL olive oil
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, sliced
• 300 mL dry white wine
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
• 300 mL beef or veal stock
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves

Gremolata

• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, zested

Method

 

1. Tie each shank with kitchen twine. Toss in flour, salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a heavy pan. Brown shanks 3 minutes per side. Tip into slow cooker.
3. Same pan, cook onion, carrot, celery 10 minutes. Add garlic 1 min. Tip into cooker.
4. Add wine to pan, boil 2 minutes. Pour into cooker. Add tomatoes, stock, rosemary, bay.
5. Cover. Cook on low 7 hours (or high 4 hours) until meat is fork-tender.
6. Combine gremolata ingredients in a small bowl.
7. Serve shanks over saffron risotto or soft polenta. Top with gremolata.

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