Meat & Pork

Serving

Osso Buco

Name: Osso Buco
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Meat & Pork
Ingredients: 4 veal shanks (about 1.5 inches thick), tied with kitchen twine; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp butter; 1 onion, diced; 1 carrot, diced; 1 celery stalk, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 cup dry white wine; 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes; 1 1/2 cups beef stock; 2 bay leaves; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 lemon, zested; 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Veal shanks braised until meltingly tender in white wine and tomato, finished with a bright lemon-garlic gremolata.

165 minutes

Serves 4

Dinner

58 min prep

91 min cook

Contains common allergens

celery Dairy Wheat

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Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

6 steps

1
Preheat oven to 325°F. Season the flour with 1 tsp salt and the pepper on a plate, then dredge the veal shanks, shaking off excess.
2
Heat olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the shanks on all sides until browned, about 8 minutes total; remove and set aside.
3
Add onion, carrot, and celery to the pot and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
4
Pour in the white wine and simmer 2-3 minutes, scraping up browned bits. Stir in crushed tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaves, and thyme, then return the shanks to the pot, nestling them into the liquid.
5
Cover and braise in the oven for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the meat is fork-tender and nearly falling off the bone.
6
Combine lemon zest, parsley, and remaining salt for the gremolata. Remove the twine from the shanks, spoon sauce over top, sprinkle with gremolata, and serve.

Osso Buco — plated and served — Serving moment. How Osso Buco looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

61/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 70

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 49

Budget-friendly 72

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 32

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

290

Calories

4 g

Protein

22 g

Carbs

17 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Osso buco is closely tied to Milan and Lombardy, where cross-cut veal shanks are braised until the connective tissue softens and the marrow becomes part of the pleasure of the dish. The name refers to the bone with a hole at the center of the shank. Tomato versions are common now, though older Milanese versions often leaned more on white wine, stock, and aromatics.

Listahan note

This version keeps the braise familiar for a North American kitchen: a Dutch oven, white wine, crushed tomatoes, beef stock, and a bright gremolata at the end. The recipe prioritizes deep browning, a steady covered braise, and enough sauce to spoon generously over the shanks.

Technique cues

Tie the veal shanks before cooking so the meat holds its shape through the long braise instead of sliding away from the bone too early.
Scrape the browned bits thoroughly after adding the white wine. That fond is what makes the sauce taste braised rather than simply tomato-based.
Add the lemon-parsley gremolata at serving time, not during the braise. Its job is to cut through the rich sauce with fresh aroma.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: While the shanks sear, dice the onion, carrot, and celery; while the braise is in the oven, zest the lemon, chop the parsley, and prepare your side.
Make-ahead: Braise the shanks a day ahead and chill them in the sauce; the flavor settles, and the sauce is easy to skim before reheating.
Leftover move: Pull leftover meat into the sauce and spoon it over polenta, risotto-style rice, or wide noodles.
Cleanup rhythm: Wipe flour from the counter before searing, then rinse the dredging plate while the vegetables soften; soak the Dutch oven after serving if sauce sticks at the edges.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Veal shanks

Main braising cut

Purpose: Cross-cut shanks bring meat, bone, marrow, and connective tissue that soften into a rich sauce during slow cooking.

Handling: Tie each shank with kitchen twine and pat it dry before dredging so it browns instead of steaming.

Adaptation: Beef shanks can be used for a deeper, heavier version, but they usually need a longer braise.

All-purpose flour

Browning aid and light thickener

Purpose: A thin coating helps the shanks brown and gives the sauce a little body as it simmers.

Handling: Shake off excess flour so it does not form a pasty layer in the pot.

Adaptation: A lighter dusting of rice flour gives a similar browning effect with a slightly cleaner finish.

Onion, carrot, and celery

Soffritto base

Purpose: These vegetables cook down into the sauce and give the braise its gentle sweetness and depth.

Handling: Dice them evenly so they soften at the same pace after the shanks are seared.

Adaptation: Leek can stand in for some of the onion if you want a softer, sweeter aromatic base.

Dry white wine

Deglazing liquid

Purpose: White wine lifts the browned bits from the pot and adds acidity before the stock and tomatoes go in.

Handling: Let it simmer for a few minutes so the sharp edge cooks off and the pan bottom comes clean.

Adaptation: Use extra beef stock with a small splash of mild vinegar or lemon juice if you are cooking without wine.

Crushed tomatoes

Sauce body

Purpose: Tomatoes give the braise color, gentle acidity, and enough texture to spoon over the finished shanks.

Handling: Stir them in after the wine has reduced slightly so the sauce starts smooth and even.

Adaptation: Diced tomatoes work too, but crush them lightly in the pot for a less chunky sauce.

Lemon zest and fresh parsley

Gremolata finish

Purpose: The fresh topping brightens the rich veal and keeps the final dish from tasting heavy.

Handling: Zest the lemon finely and chop the parsley just before serving for the cleanest aroma.

Adaptation: Add a little minced garlic to the gremolata if you want the more classic punch.

Technique notes

Brown the shanks on the flat sides and the edges. The color you build early is the backbone of the finished sauce.
Keep the braising liquid around the sides of the shanks rather than fully submerging them. The exposed tops develop better texture while the covered pot stays moist.
Check tenderness with a fork near the bone. The meat should give easily but still hold together enough to lift from the pot.

Ingredient swaps

Flour dredge alternative: Use rice flour in a thin coating if you want a lighter crust and a sauce that feels a little less silky.
Wine backup: Replace the white wine with more beef stock plus a small squeeze of lemon at the end; the sauce will be rounder and less aromatic.
Dairy-free path: Use more olive oil in place of the butter for searing; the sauce will be a little less glossy but still full-bodied.
Heavier shank version: Use beef shanks instead of veal shanks and extend the braise until the meat loosens near the bone.

Serve alongside

Risotto alla Milanese
Creamy polenta
Buttered egg noodles
Braised cannellini beans with rosemary
Dry Italian white wine
Barbera
Sparkling lemon water

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate the shanks in their sauce in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Reheat gently on the stovetop or in a covered oven dish with a splash of stock until the sauce loosens and the meat is hot.
Freeze the shanks with sauce for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat slowly so the meat stays intact.

Equipment

Large Dutch oven with lid
Kitchen twine
Tongs
Fine grater or microplane

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