Milanese ossobuco (ossobuco alla milanese) is a famous recipe of Lombard cuisine. Although ossobuco is not one of the so-called “noble” cuts, it can be tasty and tender thanks to the cooking method described here. Accompanied by a Milanese risotto, it is an unmissable dish from North Italy, which is actually not difficult at all to prepare at home.
Ingredients for 2 people:
2 slices of ossobuco, about 400 g each
1 onion
1 glass of white wine
Meat or vegetable broth
A little flour (ideally buckwheat)
Salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil and/or butter
For the “gremolada”:
The zest of a lemon
1 clove of garlic
A little parsley
About the Milanese ossobuco:
The so called ossobuco is a cut which is gained from the cow’s leg, normally cut into slices, exposing the marrow in the center of the bone. This meat requires prolonged cooking over low heat to make it tender. In many countries it is cooked in some type of soup (as in the case of the Argentine puchero). The Milanese ossobuco, on the other hand, is prepared in a frying pan. An obligatory dressing is the so-called “gremolada”, a word that comes from the Lombard dialect and means “reduce to grains”. The gremolada is prepared with very finely chopped lemon zest, garlic and parsley. This dressing gives the recipe a touch of freshness that contrasts perfectly with the fatty part of the meat. Finally, the Milanese ossobuco can be accompanied with polenta or mashed potatoes. However, the perfect pairing is with saffron risotto (also called “Milanese risotto”), and that’s why they are usually presented together as a single dish.
Milanese ossobuco recipe:
Start by making a few cuts in the connective tissue around each slice of ossobuco. This will prevent the meat from bending excessively during cooking. Salt each piece of meat and flour both sides, taking care to get rid of excess flour.
Heat a little butter and/or olive oil in a frying pan. Brown the meat on both sides and set aside. Add more oil and/or butter to the pan if necessary, slice an onion, and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes. Return the meat to the pan, add the glass of wine and cook over high heat for a few minutes, until the alcohol evaporates. Reduce heat to minimum, add hot broth to cover approximately half of the meat. Cover and cook over low heat until the meat is tender (approximately an hour and a half for veal, or two hours for beef). Halfway through cooking, turn over each ossobuco carefully, making sure not to separate the meat from the bone. If necessary, add a little more broth throughout cooking. When the meat is ready, spread the gremolada on top to taste. Serve with a little of the cooking juice on top.
How to prepare the “gremolada”:
Grate the lemon zest, trying to get rid of the white part as much as possible, which is more bitter. Peel the garlic and discard the central part if it is very green, this will help to make it more digestible. Finely chop everything along with a little parsley.
It is possible to do without the garlic if it is too strong, or to blanch it previously. Some variants include the addition of a little rosemary, sage or mint (in all cases, always use fresh and not dehydrated leaves).