Osso Buco alla Milanese

Method

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1. Pat the shanks bone dry and season all over. Dust lightly with flour and shake off the excess — a thin coat browns; a thick one gums up the sauce.

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2. Heat the oil in a heavy casserole and brown the shanks hard on both sides, 4 minutes a side, working in batches so the pan never crowds. Set aside.

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3. Lower the heat, add the butter and soften the onion, carrot and celery for 10 minutes until sweet.

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4. Pour in the wine, scrape up every brown scrap from the base, and reduce by half.

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5. Return the shanks in a single layer. Add the tomatoes, stock, bay and salt — the liquid should come two-thirds of the way up the meat, no further.

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6. Cover and cook at 160°C / 320°F for 2 hours, turning the shanks at the halfway point, until a fork slides in with no resistance.

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7. Lift the shanks out and keep warm. If the sauce is thin, reduce it hard on the hob for 5 to 10 minutes until it coats a spoon.

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8. Mix the gremolata ingredients just before serving. Spoon sauce over the shanks and scatter the gremolata generously on top.

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Chef’s Tips

• Ask the butcher for centre-cut shanks with a wide marrow bone — the marrow is the best part and diners will dig for it.
• Serve a small spoon alongside so guests can scoop the marrow out of the bone.
• Make it a day ahead. The sauce sets, the flavours marry, and it reheats beautifully.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.
• A dry vermouth keeps for longer than an open bottle of white wine and is the closer swap than a random white left in the fridge; for an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of stock with a squeeze of lemon.

Pairing Suggestions

• Barolo or Barbaresco is the classic Piedmont match
• Risotto alla Milanese is the canonical side
• Panna cotta with a bitter orange sauce to finish

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate in the sauce for up to 4 days or freeze for 3 months. Reheat gently, covered, at 150°C / 300°F for 30 minutes; boiling will make the meat stringy.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.