I have had Osso Bucco twice in restaurants in the last few weeks and both times were different, but delicious, sometimes the liquid used to cook the meat in is more tomatoey (invented word alert) and other times not. I love a good tomato sauce myself, but I find that for Osso Bucco, I enjoy it better with less tomatoes. So, this is my version of it. It is not the first time for me to make it, but the first time it is such a success. Also, I can see this becoming a regular meal on anyone’s menu. The steps are simple and the results will not fail you. Please try it!

Ossu Bucco for a Crowd

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup (4 oz./125 g.) all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tsp. smoked paprika (or any other paprika)

12 bone-in pork or veal shanks, about 10 lb. (5 kg.) total, each about 1 ½ inch (4 cm.) thick

1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./120 ml.) olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups (12 fl. oz./375 ml.) dry red wine

1 can (28 oz./796 ml.) canned?? diced tomatoes

6 cups (40 fl. oz./1.25 l.) beef broth

INSTRUCTIONS:

Using a shallow dish, add the flour with salt, pepper and paprika. Dust the veal or pork shanks with the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven with a lid, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the shanks, turning once, until well browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per sides. Transfer to a clean plate.

Return the pan to medium heat, add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic with red pepper flakes, and sauté until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the wine and stir to scrape up any browned bits on the pan bottom. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook until the liquid has thickened and is reduced by half, 8-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, return the browned meat to the pan, cover, and simmer, turning occasionally, for 2 hours. Uncover and cook until the veal is tender, about 30 minutes.

Serve with polenta, rice, pasta or mashed potatoes.

Love it and share it.

This might look like an expensive meal to serve, but it isn’t if you use pork shanks. It serves so many and it serves well also.

P.S. I will place both, my recipe for perfect mashed potatoes and polenta soon on my www.feeding-a-crowd.com website soon, just look at the recipes section.