Not Healthy: Lamb Osso Bucco

Lamb osso bucco is awesome. Although osso bucco is typically made with veal, I'm not a veal eater for ethical reasons. I also prefer the taste of lamb so it's a win/win to make the dish this way. Osso bucco means "bone with hole" because it is a crosscut that exposes the marrow and allows some of that delicious buttery flavor to stew into the dish. It can be difficult to find lamb shanks cut this way although you may be able to convince your grocery store butcher to cut the lamb shanks this way. I have had good luck using lamb loin chops, which do not expose marrow and does not have a lot of meat to it but they are easier to find in my area and produce great osso bucco(-ish).

This recipe takes a lot of work and it avoids using canned tomato products, which I generally dislike because they add greater acidity and less flavor. So this recipe will take longer than most while you boil down the tomatoes. As I have mentioned on other recipes, I am not a fan of removing the skins from my tomato-based sauces because I believe the skins give the sauce a rustic texture and provides greater flavor. If you prefer, you can blanch the tomatoes and peel them. Alternatively, if you want to use canned products, use one 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes and 1/4 cup of tomato paste and pick up the recipe after the tomatoes go into the saucepan to simmer.

A dutch oven is the easiest way to cook this dish but if you do not have a large dutch oven I would suggest using a skillet to brown the lamb and vegetables and then pick your best option for the oven. You want something that will keep all the ingredients together so they stay moist and cook slow, rather than drying out quickly. If you have a 1.5 quart stockpot with a lid that is safe in the oven up to 350F (check with the manufacturer first!) then that will be 95% as good as the dutch oven and the closest substitute. If not, try to pick a baking dish (I would go with glass if you can) that will keep the ingredients together as much as possible and cover it with a layer or two of foil.

My favorite way of serving this dish is with cheesy polenta with cheddar or gruyere. (I will post a recipe for it later.) I like to place the serving of polenta in the bottom of the bowl, then place the lamb on top and pour the sauce around it and top with the gremolata.


This recipe serves eight but it takes a long time to put together so I am happy to have leftovers or even freeze extra servings. Feel free to cut down the ingredients although it won't change much about the cooking time. The major change will be a shorter cook time on the tomatoes as there is less liquid to cook out. If you find you have an excess amount of sauce after you eat all the lamb then consider freezing it as an alternative pasta sauce or pizza sauce (you may need to further boil it down for a thicker consistency). It is delicious with lamb meatballs and pasta. Also consider making a lamb stock with the leftover bones.

Lamb Osso Bucco Recipe

Details:

Servings: 8
Prep time: 20 minutes (You will prep several other steps while you are cooking.)
Cook time: 4 hours

Equipment:

• Stove
• Oven
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Kitchen utensils
• Knife and cutting board
• 1-2 quart saucepan
• Large dutch oven
• Fine tooth grater or microplane
• Food processor or blender
• Foil
• Large plate

Ingredients:

• 8 lb. lamb shanks
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 12 cloves of garlic
• 4 medium onions
• 4 medium carrots
• 3 celery ribs
• 2 cups red wine
• 2.5 lb. tomatoes 
• 3 cups lamb stock or chicken stock
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 large bunch parsley
• 2 lemons

Directions:

1. Chop tomatoes, removing core.
2. Heat saucepan over medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add tomatoes.
3. Simmer tomatoes for 30-60 minutes until it has a consistency slightly thicker than canned crushed tomatoes. Stir occasionally.
4. While tomatoes are simmering, dice onions, carrots and celery. Mince 10 garlic cloves.
5. With approximately 15 minutes left on the tomatoes, preheat oven to 350F.
6. Heat dutch oven on stove over medium heat with 1/4 cup olive oil.
7. Once the olive oil is heated, place half the lamb in the dutch oven and season lightly with salt and pepper. Brown lamb on all sides. Remove and set aside.
8. Add the remaining olive oil and repeat step 7. 
9. Once all the lamb is browned and removed from the dutch oven, add the garlic, onions, carrots and celery to the dutch oven and cook until the onions are soft.
10. Add the wine to the dutch oven to deglaze the dutch oven and gently scrape the bottom to loosen the pan drippings.
11. Cook for 3 minutes.
12. Take the dutch oven off the heat. Add the tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, thyme and oregano and mix well.
13. Return lamb and submerge into the sauce.
14. Bake the lamb, with the lid on, for 2.5-3 hours until the lamb is tender.
15. While the lamb is baking, prepare the gremolata in the following three steps.
16. Remove the parsley leaves to make one cup of loosely packed parsley leaves. Chop parsley to fine chop.
17. Use fine tooth grater to grate remaining two garlic cloves. 
18. Use same grater to zest lemons. Mix lemon zest, garlic and parsley. Set aside in the fridge.
19. Once the osso bucco is finished baking, remove the lamb carefully from the dutch oven and set aside on a large plate and cover with foil. 
20. Add the contents of the dutch oven to the food processor or blender and puree. You may have to work in shifts and blend it back together in the dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper if preferred.
21. When ready to serve, place the lamb on the plate or bowl and cover with sauce. Sprinkle gremolata on top and serve.