Dish: Osso Buco Milanese

This culinary gift from the northern Italian city of Milan is now a favorite in many other parts of the country and beyond. The name means “hollow bones” and one of the best aspects of the dish is the marrow of the bones, which is extracted and eaten.

After the primary ingredients have been cooked they are sprinkled with what the Italians call gremolata, a combination of chopped garlic, parsley, and grated lemon peel. This dish traditionally is served with Risotto alla Milanese.

Recipe

7 to 8 pounds of veal or shin with marrow in the bone, cut into two-and-a-half-inch pieces.

Salt, pepper to taste.

About one-third butter or olive oil.

1 cup chopped onion.

2 large garlic cloves, crushed.

1 cup dry white wine.

3 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, drained and chopped.

1 cup beef stock or bouillon.

1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, bay leaf tied together in a small muslin or cheesecloth bag)

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel.

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.

The Cooking

Wipe the pieces of shank and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Dust with flour. Heat the butter or oil in a heavy casserole or Dutch oven and brown the shank pieces on both sides, a few at a time, over moderate heat.

As they are cooked, transfer them to a platter. Saute the onions and one clove of garlic in the drippings, adding more butter if needed, until tender. Arrange the shanks to stand upright over the onions. Pour the wine over them. Spoon the tomatoes on top and add the stock and bouquet garni. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook slowly, covered tightly, for one and half to two hours, until the meat is tender.

When the dish is cooked, combine the remaining clove of garlic, the lemon peel, and the parsley and sprinkle over the ingredients. Remove and discard the bouquet garni.