Main course · Milan, in bianco

Ossobuco

Ossobuco is a Milanese dish of cross-cut veal shank braised in white wine and broth until the meat falls from the bone; the older version, in bianco, has no tomato. The long braise turns the shank's connective tissue to gelatin for a sticky, glossy sauce, and the marrow is eaten at the table.

Also known as: Braised veal shank · Osobuco · Bắp bê om kiểu Milano · Ossobuco alla milaneseLast reviewed 25 Oct 20263 sources

A ring of shank around the marrow

The name means "bone with a hole" (osso buco, now usually written as one word): the slice of shank, 3–4 cm / 1¼–1½ in thick, is cut across the leg so that each piece has a ring of meat around a round bone filled with marrow. The meat of the shank is full of connective tissue, which a long braise turns to gelatin, giving a sticky, glossy sauce; the marrow is eaten at the table, traditionally scooped out with a small spoon.

The classic cut is the hind shank of milk-fed or young veal (stinco or garretto), whose pieces are meatier than those of the foreleg. Beef shank is cut the same way and sold as osso buco in many countries, but it needs a longer braise.

Milan, before the tomato

Ossobuco is a dish of Milan and Lombardy, part of the city's traditional cooking alongside risotto alla milanese and the breaded veal cotoletta; its exact date of origin is not documented. Pellegrino Artusi included a recipe for ossi buchi in La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiar bene (1891), presenting it as a Milanese dish.

The older Milanese version is cooked in bianco: with butter, onion, white wine and broth, but without tomato, and finished with gremolata, a mince of lemon zest, garlic and parsley. Tomato arrived later, as it did in much of northern Italian cooking; the tomato version, often with carrot and celery, is now the most widespread in Italy and abroad. Both are considered legitimate, and Milanese cooks still debate which is the true one.

Ingredients

Method

1. Make two or three small cuts in the membrane around each slice so it does not curl during cooking; tying each slice around with kitchen string keeps it intact.
2. Season the shanks, dredge them lightly in flour and shake off the excess.
3. In a wide, heavy pan that holds the pieces in a single layer, heat the butter and oil and brown the shanks on both sides over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
4. Lower the heat and soften the onion in the same fat, 5–6 minutes. Return the shanks, upright so the marrow does not fall out, add the wine and let it evaporate.
5. Add broth to come halfway up the meat (and the tomatoes, for the tomato version). Cover and cook at a bare simmer on the stove or in the oven at 160 °C / 320 °F for 1½–2 hours, turning once and adding broth if needed, until the meat is very tender.
6. Mix the lemon zest, garlic and parsley to make the gremolata.
7. Lift out the shanks, reduce the sauce if it is thin, and adjust the seasoning. Scatter the gremolata over the meat a minute before serving so its aroma just opens in the heat.

In bianco or al pomodoro

The main division is in bianco versus al pomodoro. Some Milanese cooks add a chopped anchovy or a little sage to the gremolata, and others omit the garlic. Outside Italy the dish is often made with beef shank, which is larger and needs 2½–3 hours. Other cuisines braise shank in similar ways: the French jarret de veau, the Argentine and Uruguayan osobuco of beef used in stews and puchero, and the many beef-shank soups of Asia. Shank cooked whole on the bone, rather than in slices, is called stinco in Italy and is roasted or braised as a separate dish.

With saffron risotto

In Milan, ossobuco is served with risotto alla milanese, the saffron risotto, one of the rare cases in which a risotto accompanies a main course rather than being served as a first course. Soft polenta or mashed potatoes are common alternatives. Common mistakes: not cutting the membrane, so the slices curl; laying the pieces flat and losing the marrow; boiling instead of simmering, which tightens the meat; adding the gremolata too early, when it loses its freshness; and using thin slices that dry out before they become tender.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

3

1. Larousse Gastronomique, rev. ed. London: Hamlyn, 2009.
2. McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, rev. ed. New York: Scribner, 2004.
3. Artusi, Pellegrino. La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiar bene. Florence, 1891.

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