Not Sure What To Do With Your Osso Bucco? We've got you covered.
A Chef’s Favourite: Braised Osso Bucco with Saffron Risotto & Salsa Verde
Osso Bucco is one of those cuts that rewards patience.
Taken from the shank, it’s rich with connective tissue and marrow - which means when it’s cooked low and slow it transforms into something incredibly tender, silky and deeply flavourful.
This is a dish chefs love because it uses a humble cut but delivers restaurant-level comfort. The beef slowly braises in white wine, bacon and aromatics until the meat almost falls from the bone. The braising liquid then becomes a glossy sauce that coats every bite.
We like serving it with Risotto alla Milanese — a creamy saffron risotto that brings warmth and richness — finished with a fresh gremolata (parsley, capers and lemon) to brighten the whole dish.
It’s a perfect weekend cook. Minimal effort, maximum reward.
Serves
4
Time
3 – 3.5 hours
Ingredients
For the Osso Bucco
1kg Osso Bucco (2 pieces)
300g diced streaky bacon
Flour for dusting
1 carrot, diced
1 brown onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic
5 sprigs fresh thyme
500ml dry white wine
1L chicken stock
20g sea salt
10 cracks black pepper
Butter
Lemon juice
Risotto alla Milanese
Drizzle olive oil
1 small white onion, finely diced
Pinch saffron
Sea salt
200g Carnaroli rice
500ml chicken stock
250ml white wine
30g cultured butter
30g Parmigiano Reggiano
100ml whipped cream
2 tbsp lemon juice
Gremolata
½ bunch parsley, sliced
½ bunch chives, chopped
1 tbsp capers, chopped
150ml olive oil
Pinch sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
Juice of ½ lemon
Method
Braised Osso Bucco
Preheat a heavy pot over medium heat.
Dust the Osso Bucco lightly in flour and season with salt and pepper.
Add a drizzle of vegetable oil and sear the beef until a deep golden crust forms on both sides. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Add the diced bacon and cook gently for around 5 minutes, allowing the fat to render.
Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic and thyme with a pinch of salt. Cook until the vegetables soften and take on a light golden colour.
Deglaze the pot with the white wine and chicken stock, scraping up the caramelised bits from the bottom.
Bring to a gentle simmer, return the Osso Bucco to the pot, cover and cook very gently for 2.5 – 3 hours until the meat is tender and almost falling from the bone.
Remove the beef and vegetables and reduce the braising liquid by half. Finish the sauce with a squeeze of lemon juice and a few cubes of butter, whisking until glossy.
Return the beef to the sauce and warm through.
Risotto alla Milanese
Finely dice the onion.
Place a pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the onion with a pinch of sea salt and cook slowly until soft without colouring.
Warm the chicken stock and infuse it with the saffron.
Add the rice to the onion and cook for 2 minutes before deglazing with the white wine.
Allow the wine to reduce, then add half the saffron stock and cook gently until absorbed.
Add the remaining stock and cook until the rice is tender and creamy.
Turn off the heat and stir through the butter, parmesan and lemon juice. Fold through the whipped cream and adjust seasoning.
Gremolata
Finely chop the capers, parsley and chives.
Mix with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
To Serve
Spoon the saffron risotto into the base of your serving bowl.
Place the glazed Osso Bucco on top and spoon over some of the braising sauce.
Finish with a generous drizzle of gremolata and a crack of black pepper.
Rich, comforting and deeply satisfying — this is slow cooking at its best.
