Braised Osso Buco with Mushroom Risotto
How to make Braised Osso Buco with Mushroom Risotto
Braised Osso Buco with Mushroom Risotto
Servings: 2
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 2.5-3 hours
Osso Buco may seem like an intimidating cut of beef to work with, but all you need to make the best braised dish of your life is a little patience. The beef shanks are submerged in a flavorful broth with vegetables, wine, aromatics, and herbs, cooked low and slow in the oven for the best hands-off cooking method that produces juicy, tender, melt in your mouth beef. Pairs well with mushroom risotto but can be enjoyed with mashed potatoes, rice, or any substantial carb that can contend with the intense beefy flavor.
Ingredients (Braised Osso Buco)
- 2 GNR Akaushi Beef osso buco shanks (approx. 3 lbs)
- 1 large white onion
- 1 large carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 4-6 cloves of garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ cup dry red wine
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 sprig each of fresh rosemary, sage, thyme
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (optional)
- salt and pepper
- butcher’s twine
Ingredients (Mushroom Risotto)
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 small shallot, minced
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ½ tsp fresh sage, minced
- ½ tsp fresh thyme, minced
- ½ tsp rosemary, minced
- 1 tsp fresh chives, minced
- 1 cup choice of fresh mushrooms
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
- ¼ cup dried mushrooms (chanterelle, porcini, or portobello)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- salt and pepper
Directions (Braised Osso Buco)
- Preheat your oven to 300F
- Remove your beef shanks from packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Placing the butcher’s twine along the circumference of each beef shank, firmly tie up the meat. Set aside.
- Roughly chop the onion, carrot, and celery. Place the vegetables along with the whole garlic cloves, bay leaves, and peppercorns into a bowl and set aside.
- Preheat a large heavy bottomed pot with 1 tbsp of oil on medium high heat. Sear the osso buco on each side, roughly 2-3 minutes per side each, and remove from the pot.
- Add 1 tbsp of oil to the same used pot and saute the medley of chopped vegetables and aromatics until the onions become translucent. Season with a very generous pinch of salt.
- Add the tomato paste and stir, breaking up the paste and allowing it to caramelize for 1-2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with red wine. Allow the alcohol to cook off for 3-4 minutes before adding the beef stock.
- Place the beef shanks into the pot making sure there is enough stock to cover them entirely. Take your fresh herb sprigs and tie them together into a bouquet using the butcher’s twine and place into the pot as well. Bring everything to a simmer before putting the lid on the pot and placing it into the preheated oven. Set your timer for 2.5 hours and try not to disturb the oven.
- After 2.5 hours carefully remove the pot from the oven. Using tongs, pull one beef shank from the pot and test for tenderness. The meat should be falling apart and tender to the touch. If it’s not, put everything back into the oven for another 30 minutes. If it is, remove the shanks from the pot and place into a bowl. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Optional: strain 1 cup of the braising liquid into a small pot and reduce 50% of its volume. Add 1 tbsp of butter at a time, stirring frequently, until it becomes a glossy sauce. Season with salt to taste.
- Using two forks or gloved hands to protect from heat, shred the meat and preserve the leg bone with marrow inside. Serve atop a heaping mound of risotto.
Directions (Mushroom Risotto)
Plan to make your risotto 30 minutes before the osso buco is set to come out of the oven so that it may be served as fresh as possible.
- Pour the chicken stock into a small pot on medium heat. Add your dried mushrooms and allow the flavors to infuse while simmering on medium low heat. Do not bring the stock to a continuous hard boil because you will lose too much volume due to evaporation. You will need at least 3 cups of usable stock to fully cook the rice.
- Preheat a medium sized pan with 1 tbsp of oil on medium heat. Once it is hot add the shallots, garlic, and herbs. Saute for 1 minute.
- Add the arborio rice and fry with the aromatics for 2 minutes. Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine, allowing nearly all of the wine to evaporate as you stir for approx. 1 minute..
- For the next 20 minutes you will repeatedly add 1 large ladle (approx. ½ cup) of stock to the arborio rice at a time, stirring constantly until the rice has absorbed most of the stock before adding another ladle. It will take around 6-8 ladles of stock but can vary. Season with another generous pinch of salt.
- After your 6th ladle of stock, check a few grains of rice for doneness. The rice should have a firm chew in the center but still be soft enough to break through with your fingers. Add the fresh mushrooms and 2 tbsp of butter, stirring constantly. Continue adding stock a little at a time, this time following with another tbsp of butter with each addition, until the rice becomes tender and reaches a creamy consistency. Taste test the risotto as you do this and season with salt to taste.
- Remove the pan from direct heat and add parmesan cheese and chives.
Cook this recipe with Akaushi beef
This recipe was made using our Akaushi beef shanks.
Shop Grass Fed Shank Bone Beef from GNR Akaushi Beef →