Tomorrow is Father’s day and I’m reminiscing over his favorite dishes I used to make him. Being Italian (among others but mostly Italian), he loved anything I’d create from our Italian heritage with Osso Bucco and Pasta Fagioli (pronounced “fazool” or bean soup) on the top of his list. Traditional Osso Bucco is made with veal shanks; I use lamb shanks or even oxtail for the benefits of extra marrow. Osso Bucco made from lamb shanks is less bony and a tad easier to cut with a fork and knife.
In honor of my dad, here’s our family recipe.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
Osso Bucco:
4oz Pancetta cut in ¼ inch cubes (or prosciutto if pancetta is unavailable—don’t use bacon as it’s smoked which changes the flavor of the entire dish)
4 lamb shanks
½-1 cup ¼ inch cubed carrots (I used multicolored for fun—and a bit of yam)
½ cup ¼ inch sliced celery
1 medium onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic (4-6 cloves)
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1-2 teaspoons dried)
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups stock (something light like chicken works well)
salt and pepper
Gremolata: (don’t skip this, it’s an important flavor and simple)
bunch fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons lemon zest (1 Tablespoon if using dried lemon peel)
2 cloves garlic crushed and minced
Preparation
Make the Osso Bucco:
Preheat the oven to 3250 F.- Brown the pancetta on medium heat in a Dutch oven, stirring occasionally. When lightly browned, remove to a plate.
- Remove all but a few Tablespoons of fat. If you don’t have that much fat (as with Prosciutto), add a bit of olive oil.
- Lightly salt and pepper the lamb cuts, then brown in the Dutch oven—about 5 minutes per side, remove to another plate.
- Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the Dutch oven. Cook the onion mixture, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes) and toss in the garlic and thyme then continue to stir until just beginning to brown.
- Place the lamb and pancetta on top of the vegetable mix. Pour in the wine and then add enough stock to come a little more than halfway up the sides of the shanks. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and bake in the oven until the meat is tender. About 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on thickness of the cut.
Make the Gremolata:
- Combine all ingredients in a personal blender like a Ninja or Magic Bullet
- Place in a separate small serving dish.
This very elegant Osso Bucco presentation is always well received if you love lamb. Serve with a crusty almond flour bread like this Simple Mills Almond Flour Artisan Bread Mix or this Paleo Naan. Both are great for dipping into the Osso Bucco sauce.
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