Authentic Italian Osso Buco Recipe (Alla Milanese)

Osso buco is a classic Italian dish originating in Milan. The name "osso buco" (in Milanese dialect "Oss Buss") literally means "bone with a hole", referring to the marrow hole in the center of the cross-cut veal shank used in this dish.

The Osso Buco recipe, although it requires a long cooking time, is not a difficult dish to make. What makes it truly special is its tenderness and unique flavor.

Osso buco is typically served with risotto alla Milanese or with polenta or mashed potatoes to soak up the delicious sauce. The marrow from the bone is also considered a delicacy and is usually eaten with the tender meat.

A peculiarity of the authentic Italian Osso Buco recipe is that the meat must be seasoned with a sauce of parsley, garlic and lemon zest, chopped together and sprinkled over the dish before serving.

It adds a bright and aromatic flavor that complements the richness of the dish. This sauce is called "Gremolata". It comes from the Milanese dialect "gremulà" which means "to cut into small pieces".

The osso buco recipe is known for its luxurious texture and rich, comforting flavor, making it a popular choice in Italian cuisine for special occasions or hearty meals.

Now let's show you how to make Osso Bucco recipe!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Kitchen Tools and Equipment
• Instructions
• Storage
• What to Serve with Osso Buco
• Tips and Variations
• Origins of Ossobuco alla Milanese
• Recipe Card

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Kitchen Tools and Equipment

• To prepare the traditional Italian osso buco recipe, you need a large, shallow pan with a thick bottom and a lid. A pan suitable for long cooking and stews. We recommend this stainless steel pan with five-ply base and with glass lid.
• To make the Gremolada you will surely need a grater for the lemon zest and an electric chopper for parsley and for garlic.
• Many Italians, either for tradition or because they prefer a coarser mince, use the traditional Italian Mezzaluna Knife, so loved by our grandmothers!

Instructions

Cooking the Ossobuco

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Storage

Storing osso buco in gremolata requires particular attention to preserve the freshness and quality of both the meat and the condiment. After cooking osso buco, let it cool to room temperature before proceeding with storage.

Place the meat in an airtight container and pour the gremolata over the osso buco to retain its moisture and flavor. Keep in mind that gremolata, a mixture of lemon zest, garlic, and parsley, is more delicate and can perish easily, hence refrigeration is imperative.

Store the osso buco in gremolata in the refrigerator if you plan to consume it within two days. The cold temperature will help maintain the texture and flavor of the meat and the freshness of the gremolata.

Freezing

Yes, osso buco can be frozen, and doing so can extend its shelf life significantly, allowing you to enjoy it at a later date.

To freeze osso buco, place the cooled dish in a freezer-safe airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag, ensuring there is minimal air inside to prevent freezer burn.

It's advisable to store the gremolata separately in a freezer bag to preserve its flavors. Properly stored, frozen osso buco can last up to 2-3 months in the freezer.

When you decide to consume the osso buco, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it thoroughly in a suitable cooking appliance, like an oven or a stovetop pan, adding the gremolata once the dish is warm.

Making Ahead

Absolutely, preparing osso buco in advance can be a time-saver, and some chefs even believe that allowing the flavors to meld enhances the overall taste of the dish.

Prepare the osso buco as per the recipe and once cooked, cool it promptly and store it in the refrigerator or freezer, depending on when you plan to serve it. If you intend to consume it within a couple of days, refrigeration is sufficient.

For longer storage, opt for freezing. Regardless of the method chosen, remember to store the gremolata separately to maintain its vibrant flavor and add it to the dish during the reheating process.

Preparing in advance also allows the flavors to permeate the meat more deeply, potentially intensifying the richness of the dish.

What to Serve with Osso Buco

• RISOTTO: Osso Buco Recipe is braised in a delicious sauce until the meat is tender and falling off the bone. It's then served with a fantastic Risotto alla Milanese. This is the ultimate comfort meal! This is certainly the most popular way to enjoy Osso Buco that you can find in any Northern Italian restaurant!
• CRUSTY BREAD: But you can also enjoy Osso Buco recipe in many other ways. You can serve actually the osso buco in Gremolata sauce with some slices of crusty bread. Scoop up the sauce with some pieces of bread. Delicious!
• POLENTA: Like any braised meat dish with gravy, in northern Italian tradition, osso buco is served with traditional italian polenta recipe or mashed potatoes. Try it with Polenta Concia!
• PEAS: Very popular is also the combination with peas. Add them raw in the same pan, together with the Osso buco, about 40 minutes before the end of cooking. In this way the peas cook in the osso buco sauce and take on the flavor.

Tips and Variations

• BEEF: If you prefer beef instead of the traditional veal, you can certainly use it to make osso buco recipe. Obviously the cooking time will lengthen by about 30 minutes. The flavor will be more intense but the meat will be less tender.
• This is a dish that is traditionally very rich and caloric. But with these little tricks, you can make a lighter version. This lighter version of osso buco doesn't differ much from the traditional recipe.
• BUTTER: You can omit the butter and just use a little extra virgin olive oil to sauté the onion.
• BROTH: use vegetable broth instead of meat broth. It's lighter.
• VEGETABLES: You can use cooked vegetables or fresh lettuce as a side dish instead of polenta or risotto to make the dish less heavy and more balanced.

• GREMOLATA: If you don't like/digest raw garlic, we suggest boiling it for 5 minutes before mincing it. This way, its flavor will be less strong and it will become much more digestible. Some people bring Gremolata to the table in a separate cup, thus leaving everyone free to put the desired amount, according to their taste.
• TOMATO: The traditional recipe for Osso bucco is "in bianco (white)", that means without the addition of tomato. The first evidence of this dish dates back to the Middle Ages and the tomato was imported much later in Europe. So it was later that the habit of adding a tablespoon of tomato paste became widespread. This addition does not affect the taste and has only an aesthetic function as it makes the dish a little more colorful. Tomato is not a basic ingredient and should not be added in large quantities. The white version of the osso buco recipe remains the most famous in the regions of Northern Italy.

Origins of Ossobuco alla Milanese

There is no doubt that Osso buco is of Lombard origin. However, no one can say when it was born.

Some historians claim it dates back to the Middle Ages, as the use of bones with marrow and veal shanks was common in 14th century cuisine.

The first person to write the recipe for Ossobuco alla Milanese was the Milanese cook Giuseppe Sorbiatti (1827-1888). He offered his services to the richest Milanese families who considered this recipe a real delicacy.

Also the great Pellegrino Artusi (1820-1911) in his famous book "La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiar bene" (Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well) gives the authentic recipe of osso buco. In this book Artusi, besides praising this recipe, also says that only Milanese people know how to cook it perfectly!

Recipe Card