Cook our hearty and robust winter dish – braised osso buco
Bone with hole
Osso buco is Italian for bone with hole. It is butchered from the lower part of either the front or rear leg of beef, and cut across the bone, exposing the bone and marrow.
As it comes from a well-exercised muscle, osso buco has little fat and abundant connective tissue.
The same muscle can also be prepared without the bone and is known as gravy beef. Either cut could be used in this recipe, however we love the osso buco because the bone and marrow builds on the flavour of the dish.
Osso buco suits moist, low and slow cooking to allow the connective tissue to tenderise while enriching with flavour. The resulting meat is rich in flavour and very tender.
Traditionally, osso buco is cut from veal and is made “al bianco” with white wine and no tomato, however our recipe is a bit more robust, made with beef, red wine, tomatoes, anchovy and the zest of a lemon and chilli for an extra zing.
What is braising?
This recipe uses the cooking technique braising, coined from the French word braiser. It is a combination-cooking method that uses both wet and dry heats. Typically, the food is first sautéed or seared at a high temperature, then finished in a covered pot at a lower temperature while sitting in liquid, which may also add flavour.
Braising of meat is often referred to as pot roasting, however there are distinct differences. Braising typically covers most of the ingredients in liquid and does not always require a lid, while pot roasting does not use as much liquid and requires a lid to create convection.
Tip: flouring and searing the meat prior to braising is really important, it helps seal in the juices, and over the long cooking time creates a beautiful rich gravy sauce.
Braised Osso Buco
Method
1. Preheat oven to 160C (140C fan-forced).
2. Heat half the oil in a heavy oven proof pot (preferably cast iron) on the hob. Cook the onion and celery for around 10 minutes until softened. Add the carrot, garlic, bay and rosemary, stir and until the garlic just starts to brown. Add the stock and bring to the boil, stirring. Set aside vegetables and broth in a large bowl
3. Season flour with the salt and pepper, and toss the osso buco in the flour, lightly coating all sides. Heat remaining oil in the same pot and fry the meat, in batches, for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crusty. Set the meat aside in a bowl.
4. Add the wine and diced tomato to the pot and deglaze the pot, scraping any bits off the pot with a wooden spoon. The acid in the wine and tomato will help and the resulting liquid will be full of flavour. Add the tomato paste, anchovy, lemon zest and chilli, stirring, then add the vegetables and broth, and then the meat into the pot.
5. Place a lid on the pot to cover tightly and cook in the oven for 2½-3 hours, turning the meat over once halfway through, until it is tender and almost falling from the bone.
6. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with polenta and steamed green beans of wilted spinach or kale.
Tip: We love polenta, as it soaks up the delicious juices, but you could just as successfully serve this osso buco on mash potato, rice or pasta.
Ingredients
- 1.5kg Provenir osso buco
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, halved and sliced
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 carrots, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 4 rosemary sprigs
- 4 bay leaves
- 250ml (1 cups) of Provenir beef broth (roasted or natural)
- ¼ cup plain flour
- 250ml red wine
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 450g tin diced tomatoes
- 6 anchovy fillets, chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- pinch of dried chilli flakes
- flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to serve
About Provenir
On-farm processed beef
Provenir’s unique on-farm processing eliminates live transport and the associated stress, improves animal welfare, and produces premium quality beef of exceptional taste, juiciness, and tenderness.
The proof is in our product, but the product is a result of our passionate farmers – hard-working Australian families that genuinely care about their livestock.
Head to the About section to learn more about our award-winning beef, and its sustainable journey from paddock to plate.
If you’re ready to tackle the braised osso buco, or create your own feast, find out where you can buy Provenir beef.