Ossobuco. Now there’s a fun new word for our vocabulary.
Ossobuco is Italian for “bone with a hole”, a reference to the marrow hole in the cross-cut shank.
The food is originally a Lombard cuisine from Northern Italy and a bit more like Austrian and Central European foods. Traditionally it is garnished with gremolata and served with either risotto or polenta.
Bison shanks are tough, so braising makes them unbelievably tender, so everything is going to workout. Are we ready to rock the kitchen Italian style?!
INGREDIENTS:
• 3 lbs. bison shanks
• Flour, for dusting
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• ½ cup red wine
• 6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1½ cups beef stock
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 bay leaf
• Crushed red pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup parsley, chopped
• Parmesan cheese
• 1 lemon, zested
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Pat the bison shanks dry and season both sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Then, dust with the flour.
3. Place a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the bison shanks and brown all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the browned shanks and set aside.
4. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the Dutch oven. Sauté until slightly tender, about 4–5 minutes. Add the red wine and deglaze the pan, scraping the delicious bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Add the garlic, tomatoes, beef stock, thyme, oregano, basil, bay leaf, and crush red pepper. Bring it to a simmer.
6. Return the shanks to the pan. If needed, add more beef stock to fully cover the shanks. Cover with a lid and place in the oven. Baste the bison shanks every 30 minutes, and turn the shanks halfway through (about 1½). Braise until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
7. To serve, remove the bison shanks and place them on plates. Spoon the pan sauce from the Dutch oven over the shanks and garnish with the parsley, Parmesan cheese, and a wedge of lemon.
Beer Pairing
Two words here: Maillard Reaction. This is essentially the browning of proteins during the sear.
The Maillard Reaction is actually the same process malt goes through. In fact, the number one flavor identifier for Maillard is “malty.” The subtle maltiness of the Kettlehouse Double Haul balances the flavors of the Bison Osso Buco.