The “original” Osso Buco Recipe was made with White Wine and lamb or Veal Shank.  I prefer beef shank.  Many people make it with tomato’s but originally, it was made with just white wine.  I like both, but I find the white wine version has a more delicate and warm flavour.

For the Osso Buco

• 3 tablespoons flour (I use GF)
• 6  pieces grass-fed beef shanks, on the bone about 1.5? thick
• ¼ cup butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 sticks celery, peeled, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 6 large sage leaves, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
• 2 Cups white wine or vermouth
• ¾ cup chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 270°C.

Season the flour generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper then dust each beef shank well with the flour.

Melt the butter in an ovenproof casserole dish then sear each beef shank, turning, until browned all over. Set aside.

Add the oil to the casserole then gently fry the onion, celery and garlic for 5 minutes or until soft and light golden.

Return the beef shanks to the casserole, ensuring the pieces don’t overlap. Sprinkle with the sage and rosemary

Pour the wine and stock over the beef shanks then cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 3 hours.

Use tongs to remove the veal to a plate. Place the casserole dish on the stovetop and bring to the boil then simmer until the sauce is thick and glossy (if there’s not much liquid left in the casserole before you do this, add a little extra stock). Spoon the sauce over the veal then serve on risotto.

Risotto Milanese & Gremolata

• 4-5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 stick celery, diced
• 2 Cups Italian Risotto rice (arborio or carnaroli)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads, toasted until crisp (very low heat)
• 6 cups chicken stock, simmering
• 1/4 cup chilled butter
• 1/4 Cup freshly grated parmesan

Make the Gremolata first, combine the parsley, lemon zest and garlic in a small bowl, let rest to allow the flavour to mix well. Reserve.

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• small clove garlic, crushed to a paste with a pinch of salt

Risotto

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan then gently fry the onion and celery for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat.

Add the wine and cook over a low heat, stirring, until it has been absorbed. Crumble in the saffron.

Start adding the hot stock, a ladle at a time, stirring continuously and allowing the stock to be fully absorbed before adding the next amount – by the time you add the final ladle, the risotto should be thick and creamy. Stir in the butter, piece by piece, and the parmesan.

Serve the risotto with the osso buco, sprinkled with gremolata, with the bitter leaf salad on the side.

Bitter leaf salad

• 1 & 1/2 cups coarsely sliced radicchio leaves
• 1 & 1/2 cups coarsely sliced witloof leaves
• 1/3 cup finely chopped green olives
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons shaved parmesan

Toss the salad leaves, olives and lemon juice together then sprinkle with the parmesan.