Ossobuco alla milanese recipe: veal shank, gremolata, no tomato

This ossobuco alla milanese recipe braises cross-cut veal shank slowly in butter, white wine and broth until the meat slips off the bone, then finishes it with gremolata, a raw mix of lemon zest, garlic and parsley. The key technique is the broth level: halfway up the meat, never over it, so the shank braises instead of boiling.

The name means “bone with a hole”, after the marrow-filled centre of the shank. Pellegrino Artusi included it as recipe 358 in La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiar bene (1891), warning that the dish was best left to the Milanese; his version added tomato. The white version is the one Milan treats as its own, and the city gave ossobuco its municipal De.Co. recognition in 2007.

Ingredients

Halfway up the meat, never over it: the broth line decides whether the shank braises or boils.

• 4 slices of veal hind shank, 3–4 cm thick (about 300 g each)
• 40 g plain flour
• 60 g butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot and 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 600–750 ml hot veal or beef broth
• Salt and black pepper
• Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, for the gremolata
• 1 small garlic clove, for the gremolata
• 15 g flat-leaf parsley leaves, for the gremolata

Method

1. Cut through the thin membrane around each slice in three or four places. It shrinks faster than the meat and, left whole, makes the slices curl and cook unevenly.
2. Season the shanks, dust them in flour and tap off the excess. The thin coat browns quickly and later thickens the sauce.
3. Heat the butter and oil in a wide, heavy pan that holds the shanks in one layer. Brown them over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes a side, then lift them out. The oil keeps the butter from burning during the sear.
4. Lower the heat and cook the onion, carrot and celery in the same fat for 8–10 minutes, until soft but not coloured, scraping up the browned bits.
5. Return the shanks, pour in the wine and let it bubble for 2–3 minutes, until the sharp smell of alcohol fades.
6. Add hot broth until it reaches halfway up the meat. Cover and simmer very gently for 1 h 30 min to 1 h 45 min, turning the shanks halfway and adding a ladle of broth whenever the level drops. Slow, moist heat turns the collagen into gelatine; a hard boil tightens the fibres and dries them.
7. Near the end, chop the parsley, garlic and lemon zest together until fine. Made at the last minute, the gremolata keeps its citrus oils and garlic sharp.
8. The meat is ready when a fork slides in with no resistance. If the sauce is thin, uncover and reduce it until it coats a spoon. Scatter the gremolata over the shanks off the heat, wait two minutes and serve.

Saffron risotto, polenta and what to pour

In Milan the partner is risotto alla milanese, coloured with saffron, one of the rare Italian plates where rice and meat share the dish. Soft polenta or mashed potatoes work when there is no time for risotto.

For wine, a Lombard red with moderate tannin, such as a Nebbiolo from Valtellina, stands up to the butter without flattening the lemon. The city's own Milano Wine Week is a good place to find one.

Ossobuco alla milanese recipe: common questions

Does ossobuco alla milanese have tomato? The Milanese tradition is white: butter, wine and broth only. Artusi's 1891 version added tomato sauce or paste, and tomato versions are common outside Lombardy, but the city's codified recipe allows at most a very small amount.

Can I make it ahead? Yes, and it improves overnight. Cool it in its sauce, refrigerate for up to two days and reheat covered over low heat with a splash of broth. Make the gremolata fresh just before serving.

Can I use beef shank instead of veal? You can, but adult beef shank is tougher and needs 2 h 30 min to 3 h of braising and more broth. Ask for centre-cut hind shank, where the marrow bone is widest.