Osso buco, now here's a great dish that is so simple to make.

Most have heard of osso buco, but what is it? What literally translates as 'bone's hole' is simply an inch & a half slab of veal shank. There is a good amount of tough meat surrounding a large flat piece of bone with ample amount of rich marrow in the center. When cooked the marrow melts into the sauce leaving an open whole in the center, thus the name osso buco.
Try this on a cold sunday evening laddled into a bowl of wet polenta to soak up the rich sauce. Its a good stewy dish!

There are a hundred different variations of osso bucco, mostly braised. This one we did simply with the tomatoes we jarred over the summer.

OSSO BUCO
4 pieces of osso buco (veal shank)
a nice size carrot, chopped finely
nice onion, chopped finely
couple cloves of garlic, smashed & remove the skin
bay leaf
any aromatics you like - rosemary, we used juniper berries because we have them in the woods
a little flour for dusting
salt & pepper
a good handful (about 5 oz.) of canned tomatoes, skins removed or fresh tomatotes with skins & seeds removed
olive oil
butter
white wine (couple of glugs)
half a cup of water or stock

Salt & pepper the osso buco & then dredge in the flour

In a good size casserole or roasting pan, on med-high heat, add a glug or 2 of olive oil & a pad of butter.

Sauté the osso buco for 2 minutes on each side.

Then add the vegetables & continue cooking the osso buco, turning frequently until it is nice & colored

Add the white wine cook until the wine is reduced by 2/3

Add the tomatoes, aromatics, crack of pepper & salt, water or stock & bring up to a simmer.

Remove from stove & place in a 350 degree oven, uncovered for about an hour & half or until the centers of the bone have melted away & the meat is falling away from the bone

If you need to add a little more water or stock towards the end, do so

Serve over polenta, potatoes or rice to soak up the juices.

This is one of my favorite dishes because it really resonates with the simplicity of cucina povera.

Ashley Bartner is the Living in Italy Editor for Wandering Educators.

La Tavola Marche Agriturismo & Cooking Holiday

http://www.latavolamarche.com