Italian recipe

Ossobuco alla Milanese

Name: Ossobuco alla Milanese
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 2 h 10 min
Total time: 2 h 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian cuisine
Ingredients: 4 pieces / about 1.4 kg veal shanks, cross-cut 4–5 cm thick; 30 g plain flour; 30 ml olive oil; 100 g onion, diced; 80 g carrot, diced; 80 g celery, diced; 180 ml dry white wine; 500 ml low-salt beef or veal stock; 200 g chopped tomatoes; 1 bay leaf; 2 g fresh thyme; 10 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 5 g garlic, finely grated; 1 lemon, zest only; 5 g fine salt, divided; 2 g ground black pepper

Cross-cut veal shanks slowly braised with white wine, stock and vegetables until fork-tender, finished with lemon-garlic-parsley gremolata.

Italy

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 2 hr 10 min
Total: 2 hr 35 min
Servings: 4

Braised ossobuco with central marrow bone and lemon-parsley gremolata — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by stu_spivackSource page · Original file · CC BY-SA 2.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

4 pieces / about 1.4 kg
veal shanks, cross-cut 4–5 cm thick
30 g
plain flour
30 ml
olive oil
100 g
onion, diced
80 g
carrot, diced
80 g
celery, diced
180 ml
dry white wine
500 ml
low-salt beef or veal stock
200 g
chopped tomatoes
1
bay leaf
2 g
fresh thyme
10 g
flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
5 g
garlic, finely grated
1
lemon, zest only
5 g
fine salt, divided
2 g
ground black pepper

Method

01
Season and flour the shanks
Pat shanks dry, season with 3 g salt and pepper, then dust lightly with flour, shaking off the excess. Tie each piece around its circumference with kitchen string if needed to hold its shape.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Brown the shanks
Heat oil in a wide Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown shanks in two batches for 3–4 minutes per side until deeply golden; transfer to a tray.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Build the braising base
Lower to medium. Cook onion, carrot and celery 7–8 minutes until soft. Add wine, scrape the pan and reduce by half, then stir in tomatoes, stock, bay and thyme.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Braise until tender
Return shanks in one layer; liquid should reach about halfway up the meat. Cover and simmer very gently for 90–105 minutes, turning once, until a fork enters easily and the connective tissue is soft.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Make gremolata and finish
Mix parsley, garlic and lemon zest. Remove bay and thyme, taste the sauce with remaining salt, and spoon sauce over the shanks. Scatter gremolata on top just before serving.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Brown in batches so the pan stays hot; crowding turns searing into steaming.
Keep the braise at a gentle simmer; hard boiling can toughen meat and muddy the sauce.

Common mistakes

Do not rush the browning stage; pale meat gives a flatter sauce.
Add salt in stages because stock, cured meat and cheese can concentrate as the liquid reduces.

Substitutions

Use an equal amount of unsalted stock when replacing wine, then finish with a small splash of mild vinegar for acidity.
Choose a cut with similar connective tissue and thickness so the braising time stays predictable.

Storage

Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C for up to 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed until piping hot throughout.

Cultural context

Ossobuco is a Milanese braise named for the marrow bone at the centre of the cross-cut shank; gremolata gives the rich dish a fresh aromatic finish.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Ossobuco - stu spivack — Photograph by stu_spivack; CC BY-SA 2.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Italian recipes

Ossobuco alla Milanese

Ingredients

Method

Season and flour the shanks

Brown the shanks

Build the braising base

Braise until tender

Make gremolata and finish

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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