Milanese-Style Ossobuco with Gremolata

Take good note of today's recipe and everything I have to tell you! Today we bring a classic of Italian cuisine, Ossobuco alla Milanese. If you've tried it before, I have no doubt what you'll remember is that you enjoyed tender meat and a sauce full of flavor. Ossobuco is made with veal shank, a bone-in cut that, when slow-cooked, becomes incredibly tender and juicy. Well, today, for this recipe in the casserole, we add the final kick: we add a super delicious Italian sauce called gremolata. It's the perfect combination in a low-effort recipe, yet ideal for enjoying great meat in a dish you cook slowly. You'll see how with just a few steps and the magic of cast-iron cocottes you achieve a delicious recipe!

The gremolata is a very easy-to-make sauce made from parsley, garlic, lemon and olive oil. It's a traditional Italian sauce, which, besides accompanying this osso buco today to make a very traditional recipe (we'll sprinkle it at the end of cooking), you'll want to use it to accompany meats on the grill and roasted fish and seafood. It's a delicious sauce!

How will we make this ossobuco? In the casserole, in this case in the shallow casserole: its wide base is ideal for the initial searing of the meat, and for spreading out the vegetables to sauté them and later mix with the liquids in the recipe.

Below you will also see the recipe in video, so you can appreciate how easy the step-by-step described in the recipe is. I hope you enjoy it!

Le Creuset low cast-iron cocotte

Ingredients

For the Osso Buco:

• 2.7 kg of veal leg pieces (about 1 large or 2 small per person)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 ½ cups (375 ml) red wine
• 2 cans of whole tomatoes, diced
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 sprigs fresh oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup (250 ml) pitted and chopped olives
• Salt
• Black pepper

For the Gremolata:

• 1 ½ cups parsley, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon zest, finely grated
• Salt

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C).
2. Add a few tablespoons of oil to the Cassadou casserole and set it over the heat, on low until it's hot and then increase the heat.
3. Salt and pepper the meat on both sides and place it in the Cassadou. Let the meat cook until browned on both sides and set it aside on a separate plate. As you'll need to do it in batches, add a few more tablespoons of oil after removing the first pieces and before adding the second batch.
4. When the meat is seared, reduce the heat to medium, and in the same pan add some oil, the onion, celery and carrot. Sauté until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes over low heat).
5. Add the garlic and cook over low heat for one more minute. Add the wine, simmer and add the tomatoes.
6. Cook a few minutes and add the thyme, oregano and bay leaf. Then return the veal shanks to the pot, and ensure they are covered with liquid (add water or beef stock if you see fit).
7. Keep at a simmer, cover and place the Cassadou in the oven. Let it cook for 2 to 2 ½ hours at 150 - 160 ºC, until the veal easily separates from the bone.
8. Add the olives and adjust salt if necessary.
9. Serve with the Gremolata.

Trivia about Ossobuco

• Although in Spanish we have adapted the name to "Ossobuco", the original Italian form is "Osso buco", which in fact literally means "hollow bone".
• Traditionally, ossobuco alla Milanese is served with risotto alla milanese, a creamy saffron risotto, although it is also delicious with mashed potatoes or polenta (or served as-is as a main course, it is a very complete dish).