Craving a rich, comforting beef dish? Our Osso Buco recipe transforms beef shanks into a melt-in-your-mouth masterpiece, braised in a flavorful red wine sauce. This twist on the classic veal dish delivers fork-tender meat and a depth of flavor that will have your guests coming back for seconds.
This beef recipe is all about the slow and low braise. Our carefully tested method guarantees tender meat that falls off the bone, surrounded by a deeply savory sauce. We’ll be turning those tough shanks into pillows of fork-tender meat bathed in a rich and flavorful red wine sauce, similar to our red wine braised beef shank.
Perfect for spooning over creamy polenta, risotto, or even just some crusty bread for dipping (because, let’s be honest, who can resist?). The next time you’re throwing a dinner party and don’t know what to cook, whip out this osso buco recipe and impress your guests.
Osso Buco Ingredients
- Osso buco (beef shanks): Beef shanks are a cut of meat from the cow’s leg. They have a good amount of muscle, connective tissue, and bone marrow. That marrow adds incredible richness to the dish during the slow cooking process. If you don’t see these at the local market, check out our favorite places to order meat online. We purchased these at Porter Road.
- Salt & Pepper: These basic spices are essential for drawing out the natural flavor of the meat.
- Oil: A high smoke point oil like olive oil is used to sear the meat at the beginning. This creates a beautifully browned crust that adds depth of flavor.
- Vegetables: Diced onion, carrot, and celery are the foundation of our flavorful base. They add sweetness, earthiness, and a delightful textural contrast to the tender meat.
- Garlic: Minced garlic is a flavor powerhouse. It adds a pungent and aromatic kick that complements the richness of the dish.
- Tomato paste: Tomato paste concentrates the tomato flavor and adds a touch of acidity that helps balance the richness.
- Red wine: Red wine adds depth of flavor and complexity. The alcohol cooks off during simmering, leaving behind its delicious essence.
- Beef stock: This is the base of our braising liquid. It infuses the osso buco with savory beefy goodness as it cooks.
- Crushed tomatoes (with sauce): Crushed tomatoes add another layer of tomato flavor and some body to the sauce.
- Bay leaves: These fragrant leaves add a subtle herbal note to the dish without overpowering the other flavors.
- Fresh thyme & rosemary sprigs: Fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary bring a touch of freshness and herbaceousness that complements the richness of the meat and sauce.
- Balsamic vinegar: A splash of balsamic vinegar adds a hint of acidity and complexity to the sauce, balancing the sweetness of the vegetables and tomatoes.
How to Make Osso Bucco with Beef Shanks
- Heat oven to 325°F and position racks for low clearance. Pat the beef shanks dry with a paper towel. Then, salt them.
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the shanks in batches for 5-7 minutes per side.
- Reduce the heat to medium, then sauté the onion for 3 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and garlic, cooking for another 5 minutes until softened.
- Stir in tomato paste and half the wine, scraping up browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining wine, beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and herbs, and nestle the shanks back in.
- Cover tightly and braise in the oven for 4 hours, checking and adding liquid if needed for moisture.
- Shred the meat from the bones and discard bones and fat.
- Return meat to the pot with balsamic vinegar, adjust salt and pepper, and serve in a shallow bowl over pasta, cabbage, or with ricotta cheese.
Girl Carnivore Expert Osso Buco Recipe Tips
- If the liquid starts to get too low, add ¼ to ½ cup beef broth as needed during the braising process.
- Don’t skip the searing step! Searing the shanks in hot oil creates a beautiful caramelized crust that adds tons of depth and rich flavor to your final dish. Make sure your oil is hot enough before adding the shanks, and don’t crowd the pan – sear them in batches if needed.
- Once your osso buco is cooked and cooled, you’ll likely see a layer of solidified fat on the surface. Don’t panic! This is perfectly normal. Skim it off with a spoon or refrigerate the dish overnight. The fat will solidify even more, making it easier to remove.
What to Serve With Osso Buco
Osso buco is traditionally served with saffron risotto aka risotto Milanese or gremolata. However, you can keep things simple with plain pasta, cabbage, ricotta cheese, air fryer cauliflower, or roasted butternut squash.
Leftovers & Reheating
Store leftover osso buco in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Osso buco freezes well for up to 3 months. Once cooled, portion it out into freezer-safe containers and remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
To reheat, place leftover osso buco in a Dutch oven and gently reheat on medium-low heat until warm.
Leftovers can be served over pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes, or get creative and use shredded osso buco in tacos or rice bowls.
What Is Osso Buco?
Osso buco sounds fancy, but it literally translates from Italian to “bone with a hole” (osso = bone, buco = hole). This refers to the hollow bone in the center of the veal shank used in the traditional recipe. That hollow bone holds a prize – decadent bone marrow that adds incredible richness to the dish during slow cooking.
Osso Buco likely originated in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, known for its delicious food traditions. Lombardy’s capital, Milan, is filled with a rich history of art, culture, and food, and is believed to be the birthplace of this dish.
Traditionally made with slow-cooked veal shanks until melt-in-your-mouth tender, Osso Buco became popular among Milan’s elite and a symbol of the city’s culinary scene. The slow cooking allows the bone marrow to infuse the sauce with incredible richness, and the classic accompaniment, Gremolata, adds a bright and refreshing touch with lemon zest, garlic, and parsley to balance the richness of the meat and sauce.
Although traditional osso buco recipes feature veal shanks, you can use regular beef shanks as we do in this recipe or even lamb shanks. We’ve even made sous vide pork osso buco with pork shank for a fun twist.
More Braising Recipes
With a little simmering and some love, you’ve just created a restaurant-worthy osso buco experience right at home. Spoon that melt-in-your-mouth meat over your favorite pasta, polenta, or even mashed potatoes and embrace the rich and comforting flavors. If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe card and leave a comment below to help out the next reader!
Have you tried this recipe? Do us a favor and rate the recipe card with the ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ and drop a comment to help out the next reader.
This Braised Osso Buco recipe elevates humble beef shanks into melt-in-your-mouth, fall-off-the-bone goodness in a rich red wine sauce. Tender meat bathed in a rich red wine sauce makes this a special occasion-worthy dish that’s surprisingly easy to prepare.
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Preheat the Oven
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
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Adjust the racks to the middle-low position, leaving clearance for your pot.
Brown the Beef Shanks
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Start by patting the beef shanks dry and seasoning all sides with salt.
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Preheat a large Dutch oven or braiser over medium-high heat.
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Add oil and swirl to coat.
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Add the shanks, a few at a time, in a single layer and brown on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes.
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Transfer to a platter and repeat with the remaining shanks until all are browned.
Make the Braisng Sauce
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Reduce the heat to medium.
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Add the onion and sautee for 3 minutes until just starting to soften.
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Add the celery and carrot and sautee for another 5 minutes, until the onion has become translucent and all of the veggies are softened.
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Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds longer.
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Then, stir in the tomato paste to coat.
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Carefully deglaze the pan by pouring in half of the wine, and scraping up the browned bits (the fond) at the bottom of the pan.
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Add the remaining wine, beef stock, and tomatoes with the sauce.
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Stir to mix everything together.
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Add the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves.
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Then nestle the beef shanks back into the pan.
Braise the Osso Buco
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Cover and braise for 4 hours, or until the meat falls from the bone with ease, checking every hour to see if you need to add more liquid.*
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Transfer the meat to a clean bowl.
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Pull the meat from the bone, and discard fat and bones.
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Using two forks, shred the meat.
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Return the meat to the Dutch oven.
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Add the balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.
* If the liquid starts to get too low, add ¼ to ½ cup beef broth as needed during the braising process.
Serving: 1g | Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 72g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 255mg | Sodium: 860mg | Potassium: 2.199mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 5.678IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 184mg | Iron: 6mg
Osso Buco FAqs
Yes! Make sure you sear the shanks and sauté the veggies first. Then, transfer everything over to the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 5-6 hours, or until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone.
Cabernet Sauvignon and pinot noir are great options for osso buco.
The braising time can vary slightly depending on the size and thickness of your shanks, but generally, plan on 3.5 to 4 hours for thin 1″ shanks or longer for thicker shanks. The key is for the meat to be very tender and fall off the bone.
Osso buco is actually the perfect make-ahead dish! The flavors develop even more over time. Once cooked, let the osso buco cool completely, then refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the oven until warmed through.
