Osso Buco Recipe with Orange Gremolata
This Osso Buco Recipe, Italian for bone with a hole, is made with veal shanks braised with vegetables and wine until they fall off the bone.
This Italian Braised Veal originated in Milan and is slow-cooked until infused with flavor and perfectly tender and delicious!
Why You Must Make
- This is a Dorie Greenspan recipe and is well tested and well-loved.
- Veal shanks are slow-cooked in an orange tomato sauce until it’s falling off the bone.
- Adding a slosh of red wine ups the flavor even more.
Slow-Cooked Veal Shanks
Even I was drawn in by the intoxicating aroma of this veal simmering away in the oven bathed in a delicious braising sauce. It’s usually just cookies that get to me! And, as I predicted, the hubby raved about his dinner. Though he did think the orange zest was overkill. Sheesh. Score one for Dorie!!!
Recipe Notes:
- Add a slosh of red wine (a half-cup would be a reasonable amount) to her recipe to up the flavor complexity. Like salt, wine is a flavor enhancer and will add a delicious undertone to the dish.
- If you ever see veal shanks at your market, consider making this scrumptious, comforting braised veal recipe. Or ask your butcher to order some.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Italian translation is “bone with a hole,” referring to the pieces of veal shank of which it’s made. An Italian comfort food, the shanks are slowly braised in a wine, herb, and tomato sauce until perfectly tender. This version has a French twist with thyme, basil, and herbes de Provence. It’s often topped with a gremolata (see more below).
Gremolata is a minced herb garnish typically served with osso buco. Usually made with parsley, lemon zest, and garlic, Dorie tweaks her recipe to mimic the orange and basil in her osso buco.
Dust your finished dish with orange gremolata right before serving. This extra step makes for a restaurant-worthy osso buco recipe!
First, the bone marrow provides an amazing flavor that transforms ordinary ingredients into something fabulous! Plus, the gremolata gives a bright refreshing boost of flavor.
You May Also Like:
- Beef Stew with Red Wine
- Slow Cooker Brisket
- Pork Carnitas Recipe
- Beef Barbacoa Recipe
- More of my Best Main Course Recipes
Osso Buco à L'arman
A French twist on the classic Italian braised veal shanks
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons, divided
- 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (Arman used 2 teaspoons dried)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (Arman used 2 teaspoons dried)
- 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
- 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes in tomato puree
- 5 medium tomatoes, sliced
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes, dissolved in ¼ cup boiling water
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 veal shanks, cut into 2- to 3-inch lengths
- 4 large carrots, trimmed, peeled, and thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and pour in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, and herbs and cook, stirring to soften.
- Using scissors, reach into the can of tomatoes and snip the tomatoes into pieces. Add the fresh and canned tomatoes, liquid included, the bouillon.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, season with salt and pepper, then lower the temperature and let it simmer gently while you brown the veal.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Pat the veal dry and season lightly with pepper. Brown the veal lightly on both sides. Remove from the pan and place it into the simmering sauce. Add some of the pan drippings to the sauce, too, if desired.
- Place the carrots over the veal. Cut a circle of parchment paper just large enough to fit inside the Dutch oven and lay the paper on top of the osso buco.
- Simmer for 5 minutes more, then place the lid on the pot set in the oven.
- Cook the osso buco undisturbed for 2 hours, at which point the meat should be fork-tender.
- Carefully remove the lid and the parchment paper and, with a large spoon, skim any excess fat from the top before serving.
- Sprinkle with gremolata to serve
Notes
Adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan.
Add ½ cup red wine to the sauce to enhance the flavor even more!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1 veal shankAmount Per Serving: Calories: 501Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 241mgSodium: 558mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 8gSugar: 16gProtein: 67g
Orange-Basil Gremolata for Osso Buco
Topping for the Italian classic Osso Bucco from Dorie Greenspan
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup orange zest, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in small bowl about an hour before serving. Cover with plastic to keep mixture moist.
- Sprinkle over plated osso buco before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0Total Fat: 0g
Skinny Tip
I’m offering a series of Skinny Tips. How I keep slim is one of my most frequent inquiries. I’ll feature more tips on some of my upcoming blog posts. Click on the #SkinnyTip tag at the end of this post to see all my previous tips.
Tip #49: Portion out healthy snacks for the week and have them close at hand to grab when you get a hunger pang. Make sure to include some protein like nuts or cheese to help keep you full longer.
39 Comments on “Osso Buco Recipe with Orange Gremolata”
So glad this dish was Bill-approved! I skipped the gremolata, since I made the Orange Rice Pilaf to go with the Osso Buco, but it looks so pretty!
Yea a Bill approved meal. It was pricey wasn’t it? I thought it was well worth it though and look forward to using the rest of the veal shanks I have parked in the freezer. I have to think of a special meal to use them for.
Very tasty looking! And the meat looks tender and falling off the bone! Very filling dish, Liz!
Gourmet Getaways
Exotic and comforting all at once…you can’t beat that! The garnish makes it all the more delightful!
Your photos are beautiful Liz! Progressive dinners! That’s a blast from the past. We did them in our Air Force days and they were so much fun. I think this recipe was a hit with whatever meat people used. And gremolata? My favorite Dorie technique!
I’ve never heard of Osso Buco before, but I want some NOW. xx
We are huge osso buco fans, so I knew this one would be enjoyed. I enjoyed this version, although I missed pouring in some of the wine into the pot. Hotly Spiced’s version sounds delicious!
Bill’s getting on the recipe bandwagon. This recipe would get the pickiest eater to the table!
I have never cooked a dish like this… it sounds so fancy. 🙂 It’s always a win when Bill loves a dish… score!! Hope you had a fantastic birthday. 🙂
Looks perfect, Maureen. I’ve made it once and had it once in a NYC restaurant. Both delicious! Thanks for a great remainder!
I do love osso buco and I have cooked it with fennel, orange and white wine before so I can just imagine how this would have tasted. I’m so glad Bill liked it – I was thinking it might be a little too ‘out there’ for him. It’s true the veal shanks send a wonderful aroma through the kitchen as they’re cooking. I’m inspired to try this but I’ll hold off – it was 104C here today and far too hot to fire up the oven xx
In this season I love eat the slow food. Your osso buco looks so good and reconforting !
Hooray!! A win with Bill is a good dish.
Osso-Buco sounds like a very exotic dish, thanks for the introduction 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Gorgeous looking meat. Wow… no wonder Bill loved it. Yes… too much orange. What a theme for a party.. osso buco we probably would have made lasagna. I want to be involved in the events you organize.
I was surprised how much the gremolata brightened up the stew. I really enjoyed this one. Howard liked it too, though he, like Bill, thought the orange was overkill.
Wow, Bill really liked it, must be a man’s type meal. Jim gave his approvable. All kidding aside,
this really was a great meal and yours looks wonderfully delicious. Happy Halloween.
Yummy yum! Wish this was on our dinner table tonight!
Osso Buco si such a wonderful treat, glad it was so appreciated. I do know about gremolata but never made some, got to do it.
I love osso buco, as you know, Liz… glad Bill liked this one!
We got the thumbs up here too!
Liz, I love how you (and Dorie) push the envelope for Bill. Your French Fridays do not disappoint, and the lovely Osso Buco is photographic proof. I enjoyed the disserte on gremolata, too. Happy Halloween to you & yours!
This was a big hit in my house too! Yours looks wonderfully mouthwatering! Glad your picky eater enjoyed it! Happy Friday, Lizzy!
I really liked the gremolata, it added such great flavor and was pretty to boot. So happy to hear that you had a satisfied taste tester at home. It’s always more fun when we can share these recipes.
I love osso buco and your gremolata sounds wonderful!
Mmm looks so good and comforting during these cold, cold days 🙂
Happy Halloween Lizzy! And I hope you had a fantabulous birthday.
xo
I have never made this dish but will order it if it is on the menu. I just want a bowl of the gremolata please.
Just gorgeous, Liz!
I had so much fun working with you to pull together last week’s post. It seems like everyon thoroughly enjoyed it! I hope you spend all weekend celebrating your birthday in style! xoxo
Looks great and I’m realizing I totally forgot to even make the gremolata! Ah, well. I love the bone with a hole nickname for the shanks! Great tip for healthy snacks, by the way: having them pre-portioned means you can fight the unhealthy snack monster a bit easier! Happy Halloween!
Another great #Skinny Tip. I allllllmost like reading them as well as reading about your gorgeous food. I also didn’t have Osso Bucco until I was an adult. What an eating adventure first, to have veal (those poor calves) and secondly, to have “bone with a hole”. You’re right about that bone thing. I liked it as well as Bill although it is quite pricey to order at a restaurant. I am glad to now know how to successfully make it at home. Lovely photos, as always. Also like that you added more slow-cooked food choices. Happy Winter, Liz.
Wow – Bill endorsed. I am impressed 🙂
I have never made osso-buco…wow..yours looks so tender and perfect!
Liz!!! I’ve always wanted to make osso-buco!! Slow cooked in an orange tomato sauce till the meat was fall off the bone tender. . . oh my gawd, sounds so good!!! and I love that Bill didn’t care about purchasing the expensive cut of meat. . Paul is the same way when it comes to meat! I can buy anything! 😛 Happy Halloween, Liz!!! 🙂
damn delcious and comforting dish!!!!
My goodness – if your Picky Eater gave it his approval, then I must try it for mine! It looks lovely!
I just love osso buco. Especially with gremolata. Love the brightness it brings to a recipe.
I am impressed (but not surprised actually) that Bill loved this – looks great Liz!
I love Osso Buco! It’s one of my all-time favorites! Nice recipe…thank you!
Sounds like a hearty meal Liz! Happy Halloween-have fun:@)