What is the best cut of meat for osso buco?

The best cut of meat to use for an osso buco (osso bucco or ossobuco) dish is shanks. Although veal is traditionally used, this slow cook osso buco recipe works really well with whatever meat shanks you have on hand – pork, beef, or veal.

What part of the animal is the shank?

Beef shanks (or shanks of other animals) come from the top part of the leg. Because the animal uses these muscles often, they can be tough or dry, so slow cooking them in a sauce is the best way to get tender meat.

Why is my osso buco tough?

Osso buco is best when you slow cook it for a long time. I really love to cook it for 8 hours on low. The minimum cooking time for fork-tender meat is 4 hours on high.

Do you eat the marrow in osso buco?

Some people might want to take the marrow out before cooking, but I would definitely recommend you leave it in to slow cook in the gravy. Osso buco is so flavorful and savory when it is cooked with the bone marrow.

Rich and Hearty Osso Buco | Easy Slow Cooker Recipe

Slow Cooker Osso Buco

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This slow cooker osso buco turns out fork tender and mouthwateringly delicious! Easy to make with simple ingredients, choose beef, pork, or traditional veal.

Author: Tiffany
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4-8 Hours
Total Time: 4-8 Hours + 10 minutes prep
Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
Category: Main Meals
Method: Slow cooker / crock pot
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale

1 tsp olive oil
4 beef shanks (or pork, or veal), 1 ¼ inches thick (2 pounds total)
1 tsp salt
ground black pepper
⅓ cup chopped onion
⅓ cup chopped celery
⅓ cup chopped carrots
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste (freeze ahead of time)
1 ¼ cups canned crushed tomatoes
¾ cup beef broth
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh thyme
fresh parsley, for garnish

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Instructions

Heat olive oil in a medium-sized skillet (I love my cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat. Season the beef shanks (or pork, or veal) with salt and sear on all four sides until they’re nicely browned but not cooked through. No time to sear? See recipe notes for a tip!
Place your seared beef shanks (or pork, or veal) in your slow cooker insert.
Add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, black pepper, rosemary, and thyme (if you are not searing your meat, add your salt here too). Mix by stirring.
Cover your slow cooker and set it to high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Once cooked and ready to serve, discard sprigs of rosemary and thyme.
Note: If desired, garnish with freshly chopped parsley before serving.

Notes

Use beef shank, pork, or traditional veal for this recipe – whatever meat you have on hand.
No carrots? No problem. Whatever veggies you have on hand – green peppers for example, also go well with the onions, tomatoes, and celery.
If you are short on time, you can always skip the searing step and go right to the slow cooker. Of course, the searing step deepens the flavor and locks in the juices, but it’s not a deal-breaker if you need to skip this step. Your dish will still be delicious!

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 296

Find it online: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/slow-cooker-osso-buco/