Veal Osso Bucco

Osso bucco is a wonderful, but hard to find Italian dish in most Italian restaurants in Pittsburgh! Osso bucco literally means "the mouth of the bone" in Italian. The reason for this moniker is because of the cut of meat that you use. Osso bucco is a veal shank and typically contains a large round bone in the center which is full of delicious marrow and, to me is the best part of the meal! Go to a good butcher, or to a place like Whole Foods or Market district to find this cut of meat. Sometimes it is sold under Osso Bucco, or it may be packaged as veal shank.

 

Ingredients:

 

• 4 veal shanks
  
• Butchers string
  
• 4 carrots, sliced thinly
  
• 1 large white onion
  
• 14 oz can of diced San Marzano tomatoes, or any good Italian tomato
  
• 1 cup of dry white wine
  
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
  
• ½ stick of butter
  
• 1 cup of flour
  
• ¼ cup of olive oil
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• 1 bunch of Italian parsley, chopped
  
• 2 cups of beef stock
  
• Papradelle noodles
  
  
  
  
  
  Rinse veal shanks under cold water. Pat dry. Tightly tie string around the veal shank twice, in order to hold it together during the cooking process. Dredge shanks in flour. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil and butter. Fry shanks until browned on both sides and remove. Do not allow butter/oil mixture to burn by turning up heat too high! Add garlic, carrots, and onion to Dutch oven, and sauté until soft. Add tomatoes, wine, stock, and herbs. Place browned meat on top and push down into liquid so that they are covered. Place dutch oven into a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Slow cook for about 1.5 hours, basting meat with juices frequently. Meat will become very tender and the sauce will reduce down to about half.
  
  
  
  Remove and allow to cool slightly so that sauce thickens up. Cook noodles according to package directions. Plate on a bed of noodles with meat on top and sauce poured over and around meat. Remove string. Traditionally served with a small meat fork to pick out marrow in the center of the bone! A small sugar spoon or coffee spoon also works well. 
  
  **may also be served on a bed of polenta or risotto, or just with the vegetable sauce on its own.