Venison Osso Buco

Venison osso buco is one of the first recipes that popularized the eating of deer shanks.

Osso buco is a soul-warming meal believed to have originated in the Lombardy region of Italy in the late 18th century and has stood the test of time.

Jump to Recipe

Looking for more venison comfort food? Try my venison slow cooker collection, cube steak, and deer cutlets.

Since its creation, it has undergone many transformations over the years, but the star of the dish still aligns with its given name “osso buco”. 

Osso buco translates to “bone with the hole” in Italian. The hole is from the shanks of veal, pork, lamb, or in this case venison, being cut into disks around 2 inches thick, exposing the marrow. By having the marrow exposed, it's able to render out during the slow cooking process and transform the braising liquid into something magical that can be used to sauce the meat at serving time.

The fork tender shanks are served over polenta which gets some extra creaminess from mascarpone cheese. The dish is then topped off with a zesty horseradish gremolata for an extra kick and to balance some of the richness. My wine of choice for this dish is an Italian wine known as Barolo, but if you can't find it, simply use the best dry red wine that you can find.

COOKS NOTES

Working Ahead: You can make the shanks up to three days in advance and the polenta up to two days in advance. Make the gremolata the day you are eating.

Substitutions: If you are unable to find coarse polenta, fine will work. Simply follow the directions on the package. You can also use coarse grits with great results.

Storage and Leftovers: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze osso bucco after it has been throughly chilled for up to 2 months.

Slow Cooker Friendly: You can cook the shanks in your crockpot with easy. Simply follow the directions through step number 8. Then add everything to the slow cooker, cover and cook on high until tender. This can take up to 9 hours. On the slow setting it can take up to 12 hours.

Looking for venison recipes? These are a few of my favorites:

My Best Ground Venison Recipes

Smoked Shoulder Roast

The Ultimate Venison Recipe Collection

Lastly, if you try this venison osso bucco recipe, be sure to leave a comment or tag me on Instagram! I thoroughly enjoy hearing feedback and checking out the photos of recipes that you've made.

---

VENISON OSSO BUCO

Serves: 3 to 4 People

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3 to 5 hours

Author: Larry White

INGREDIENTS

For the Shanks

• 2 tablespoons - Cooking oil (high smoke point such as grapeseed)

• 4 - Venison shanks cut into around 2 inch disks (optionally tied with butcher's twine)

• All-purpose flour, as needed for dredging the shanks

• 2 1/2 cups - Onions, thinly sliced

• 2 cups - Carrots, diced

• 2 cups - Celery, diced

• 1 tablespoon - Fennel seeds

• 10 - Sprigs fresh thyme

• 3 - Sprigs fresh rosemary

• 4 - Garlic cloves, minced

• 2 - Bay leaves

• 1/4 cup - Tomato paste

• 2 cup - Barolo (or another dry red wine)

• 7 cups - Chicken stock

• Salt & Black pepper to taste

For the Polenta:

• 4 cups - Water

• 1 cup - Coarse polenta 

• 1 cup - Milk

• 2 tablespoons - Unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup - Mascarpone cheese

• 1 cup - Parmesan cheese 

• Salt and black pepper to taste

For the Gremolata

• 1/2 cup - Fresh parsley, chopped

• 2 tablespoons - Olive oil

• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

• 1 teaspoon orange zest

• 1 teaspoon - lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon - kosher salt

• 2 - Cloves of garlic, minced 

• 2 tablespoons - horseradish, grated

• Salt and black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Shanks

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or wide pot over medium-high heat.

3. Season the shanks with salt and pepper. Now dredge the shanks in the flour, Shake any excess off.

4. Add the shanks to the hot pan, and cook on all sides until browned. Cook in batches if needed to avoid steaming the meat.

5. Remove the shanks and set aside.

6. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, fennel, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and one teaspoon of salt to the pot. Cook until softened, while stirring often, about 4-5 minutes.

7. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.

8. Add the wine, scraping with a spoon to deglaze the pan.

9. Return the shanks to the pot, 

10.  Add enough chicken stock to cover the shanks around ¾ of the way. 

11. Taste the cooking liquid and adjust with salt and pepper if needed.

12. Cover and braise in the oven until the meat is fork tender. Around 3 to 5 hours.

13. Remove from the oven once for tender, cover and set aside while you make the polenta and gremolata.

For the Polenta

1. In a pot combine the water with the polenta and mix until smooth.

2. Cook over medium heat, while stirring constantly until the polenta is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

3. Pour in the milk and stir to combine. Cook while stirring often, until the polenta is tender. This will take about 25 minutes.

4. Mix in the butter and mascarpone. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Remove from the heat and fold in the Parmesan cheese.

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste

For the Gremolata

1. Combine all of the ingredients and stir until combined.

2. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add more olive oil as needed.