This is another recipe from my book The Flesh In My Life which you can purchase direct from Mondos or see other stockists in this section.
Buy hindquarter lamb shanks and get the butcher to cut them into three pieces each. They are more attractive than forequarter lamb shanks, which are very tasty but don’t present as well. Osso Buco means “bone with a hole”, and happens when the marrow in the bone falls out because the meat has been cooked long and slow until it is tender and succulent.
Serves 4
- 4 lamb shanks approx 2 kg, cut into 3 pieces each
- 200 gm onion, finely chopped
- 1 can tomatoes, chopped (400 gm)
- 100 ml white wine
- 100 ml orange juice
- 1 orange, zest grated coarsely
- 250 ml beef or lamb stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 50 gm butter
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
- WA lake salt
- ground black pepper
Method
- Salt and pepper the lamb.
- In a large frypan, add 100 ml of oil and fry the lamb at a brisk heat until it’s golden brown all over. Remove the lamb pieces from the pan and rest them.
- Add wine and deglaze the pan. Cook off the alcohol for around 3-4 minutes.
- In the same frypan, add the butter and onion, cooking until the onion is soft and translucent (about 10 minutes).
- Add tomatoes, orange juice, stock, lamb pieces and juices, bay leaves, and orange zest. Stir and simmer for one and a half to two hours, covered with a lid.
- Check the seasoning and adjust to your taste.
- Cook until the lamb is tender and the sauce is thick and sticky.
- If it is still very liquid, set the lamb aside and cook the sauce on high heat, stirring often, until it reduces.
- Before serving, remove the bay leaves from the sauce.
- Serve lamb Osso Bucco on top of cooked pasta or mashed potato and pour the sauce over the lamb. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with a green salad.
