Venison Osso Buco
Venison Osso Buco is a soul-warming take on a classic Italian dish: cross-cut shanks slowly braised until tender, served over creamy mascarpone polenta and brightened with zesty horseradish gremolata. With rich marrow-infused sauce and fork-falling meat, this recipe turns an underestimated cut into a show-stopper.
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
- 1 teaspoon Orange zest
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons Fresh horseradish, grated
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the Shanks
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or wide pot over medium-high heat.
- Season the shanks with salt and pepper. Now dredge the shanks in the flour, Shake any excess off.
- Add the shanks to the hot pan, and cook on all sides until browned. Cook in batches if needed to avoid steaming the meat.
- Remove the shanks and set aside.
- 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.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine, scraping with a spoon to deglaze the pan.
- Return the shanks to the pot. Add enough chicken stock to cover the shanks around ¾ of the way.
- Taste the cooking liquid and adjust with salt and pepper if needed.
- Cover and braise in the oven until the meat is fork tender. Around 4 to 5 hours.
- Remove from the oven once for tender, cover and set aside while you make the polenta and gremolata.
For the Polenta
- In a pot combine the water with the polenta and mix until smooth.
- Cook over medium heat, while stirring constantly until the polenta is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the milk and stir to combine. Cook while stirring often, until the polenta is tender. This will take about 25 minutes.
- Mix in the butter and mascarpone. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and fold in the Parmesan cheese.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
For the Gremolata
- Combine all of the ingredients and stir until combined.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add more olive oil as needed.
NOTES
- Brown the shanks in batches. Dredge them lightly in flour, season them first, and do not crowd the pot or they will steam instead of sear. That browning step is what builds the base flavor for the braise.
- Cover only three-quarters up. After deglazing with the wine, add enough chicken stock to come about three-quarters of the way up the shanks. You want a braise here, not a full boil.
- Cook until fork-tender. Braise covered at 325 F for about 4 to 5 hours, but go by texture more than the clock. The shanks are ready when the meat gives easily and pulls from the bone without fighting you.
- Make the polenta while resting. Once the shanks are done, keep them covered while you finish the polenta and gremolata so the meat stays hot and the braising liquid stays settled.
- Use fine polenta if needed. If you cannot find coarse polenta, fine polenta works, and coarse grits will also work. Follow the package timing if you swap.
- Slow cooker works too. Follow the recipe through step 8, then transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on high until tender, up to 9 hours, or on low up to 12 hours.
- Make parts ahead if wanted. The shanks can be made up to 3 days ahead, and the polenta up to 2 days ahead. Make the gremolata the day you plan to serve it.
- Store leftovers tightly covered. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze them once fully chilled for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 1196kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 74g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 250mg | Sodium: 1763mg | Potassium: 2226mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 12894IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 607mg | Iron: 6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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