Ossobuco alla milanese con gremolata
A veal shank slowly braised until melting, the bone revealing its marrow, all awakened by gremolata — a raw mince of lemon zest, garlic, and parsley. The secondo of great gatherings.
A veal shank slowly braised until melting, the bone revealing its marrow, all awakened by gremolata — a raw mince of lemon zest, garlic, and parsley. The secondo of great gatherings.
Ah, ossobuco! It is the dish of Sundays and evenings when you entertain. You must let it simmer for hours, unhurried, until the flesh falls apart at a mere glance and the marrow, at the bone's heart, becomes a treasure that guests vie for with a small spoon. And at the last instant — never forget — you toss over it the gremolata, that lively mince of lemon and garlic that wakes everything up, like a witty remark in a languishing conversation.
- •Thick veal shank slices with bone — one slice per guest (centerpiece)
- •Butter — generously (Lombard cooking fat)
- •Onion, carrot, celery — one each (braising base)
- •White wine — a glass (deglazing)
- •Meat broth — to cover halfway (braising)
- •Lemon zest, garlic, parsley (gremolata) — a small mince (acidic finish)
- •Flour — a little (to thicken the sauce)
Ossobuco alla milanese con gremolata
A veal shank slowly braised until melting, the bone revealing its marrow, all awakened by gremolata — a raw mince of lemon zest, garlic, and parsley. The secondo of great gatherings.
Why this dish? Boito, even in his biography, is tied to Lombard cuisine — osso buco and risotto graced his table. It is the grand dish of Milanese society dinners, where ossobuco was often served atop saffron risotto.
Ah, ossobuco! It is the dish of Sundays and evenings when you entertain. You must let it simmer for hours, unhurried, until the flesh falls apart at a mere glance and the marrow, at the bone's heart, becomes a treasure that guests vie for with a small spoon. And at the last instant — never forget — you toss over it the gremolata, that lively mince of lemon and garlic that wakes everything up, like a witty remark in a languishing conversation.
Ingredients (period version)
- Thick veal shank slices with bone — one slice per guest (centerpiece)
- Butter — generously (Lombard cooking fat)
- Onion, carrot, celery — one each (braising base)
- White wine — a glass (deglazing)
- Meat broth — to cover halfway (braising)
- Lemon zest, garlic, parsley (gremolata) — a small mince (acidic finish)
- Flour — a little (to thicken the sauce)
Ingredients
- Veal shank with marrow bone, 4 cm slices — 4 (1 per person) (centerpiece)
- Butter — 50 g (cooking)
- Onion — 1 (soffritto)
- Carrot + celery — 1 + 1 stalk (soffritto)
- Dry white wine — 150 ml (deglazing)
- Veal or beef broth — 400 ml (braising)
- Flour — 2 tbsp (dredging the meat)
- Zest of 1 lemon + 1 garlic clove + 1 bunch parsley — finely minced (final gremolata)
Method
- Score the edges of the shank slices (to prevent curling), dredge in flour.
- Brown them in butter on both sides, set aside.
- Sauté the soffritto (onion, carrot, celery) in the same pot.
- Return the meat, deglaze with white wine, let evaporate.
- Add broth to halfway, cover and braise over very low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours, turning the meat.
- Prepare the gremolata by mincing together zest, garlic, and parsley.
- Just before serving, sprinkle gremolata over the tender meat. Serve with Milanese risotto (recipe r1).
How it was made : Ossobuco *in bianco* (without tomato) is the historic Milanese version, where gremolata provides the only acidic note. It is traditionally served on *risotto giallo* — an emblematic pairing of 19th-century Lombard grand tables.
The contemporary twist : Serve the bone upright in the center of the plate with a small spoon beside it: the marrow becomes a ceremonial morsel to be enjoyed first.
Sources : Pellegrino Artusi, *La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiar bene* (1891) · Lombard culinary tradition, ossobuco alla milanese in bianco
Arrigo Boito · Charactorium