Beef Osso Buco

Beef osso buco stands at the top of our list of impressive meals that let ingredients do the work. Wine, aromatic vegetables, and crosscut beef shanks combine to create an unforgettable dinner. As it braises in wine and aromatics, the bone marrow melts into the sauce while the meat turns buttery soft. Served over rosemary garlic mashed potatoes, risotto, or truffle mashed potatoes to catch every drop of sauce, beef osso buco turns a quiet Sunday dinner into a memorable meal.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

With some simple ingredients and time, you can create a rich, braised dish that tastes like it came from a high-end restaurant kitchen.

In the printable recipe below, you can find a complete list of ingredients and measurements.

• Beef Shanks: Cross-cut beef shanks might look basic but pack serious flavor potential. When shopping, look for bright red shanks with white marrow visible in the center bone. A good beef shank runs 2-3 inches thick with some marbling throughout the meat. Avoid pieces with dried-out or gray edges. If your butcher only has thinner cuts, they’ll work but you’ll need to watch them more closely during cooking. Choose pieces with consistent thickness and visible marrow in the center bone for best results. If you don’t see beef shanks in the meat case, ask your butcher – they often keep them in the back.
• Wine and Stock: White wine adds acidity and complexity to the braising liquid. A dry white like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc works best – save the sweet wines for drinking. No wine? Add a splash of white wine vinegar to stock instead. For the stock, chicken brings a lighter touch that lets the beef flavor shine. You can use beef stock, but it might overpower the subtle flavors that develop during cooking. We used vegetable stock for this recipe when we had no chicken stock on hand. 
• Mirepoix: The classic combination of diced onions, carrots, and celery creates the foundation of the sauce. Cutting these vegetables into small, consistent pieces helps them melt into the final sauce. Yellow onions offer the best flavor, but white onions work too.
• Garlic and Herbs: Fresh garlic cloves, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs infuse the braising liquid. We leave the herbs whole for easy removal after cooking. While dried herbs can work in a pinch, fresh herbs provide a cleaner flavor.
• Tomato Paste: A small amount of tomato paste thickens the sauce and adds richness. Don’t skip this ingredient – it brings the sauce together and provides essential depth.
• Flour: A light flour coating on the beef helps create a golden crust during searing and slightly thickens the sauce.

How to Make Beef Osso Buco

Here are the quick step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions with the exact ingredients in the recipe card below.
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Pro-tip: Let the beef shanks come to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Cold meat won’t brown properly, and a good sear creates the foundation for a rich sauce.

1. Prep the Beef: Pat the beef shanks completely dry with paper towels, as moisture prevents proper browning. Tie each shank with butcher’s twine to help maintain the shape during cooking (this is completely optional and will not affect the final dish). Season generously with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly with flour. If the meat starts curling during searing, snip the outer connective tissue in one or two places to help it lay flat.

2. Sear the Beef: Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom oven-safe pan with a lid. Add the floured beef shanks and brown until they develop a deep golden crust, about 4-5 minutes per side. This step builds flavor throughout the entire dish. Notice how one of the beef shanks is curling because the outer connective tissue wasn’t cut.  It will still come out just as delicious when braised but won’t look as pretty and “restaurant-perfect.”

2. Create the Base: Remove the meat and add the diced onions, carrots, and celery to the same pan. Let them cook until the onions turn translucent and start to soften. Add garlic near the end to prevent burning.

3. Build the Sauce: Pour white wine into the pot to deglaze it, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom. The browned bits provide lots of flavors. Once the wine is reduced by half, add the stock, tomato paste, and herbs.

4. Braise the Beef:  Return the beef to the pot, making sure the liquid comes halfway up the sides of the meat. Cover the pan and cook the beef shanks until the meat nearly falls off the bone but still holds its shape, about 2 – 2½ hours. Turn the shanks occasionally so they cook evenly. The beef should offer no resistance when pierced with a fork.

5. Finish the Sauce: Remove the beef from the braising liquid, place it on a platter, and then tent it with foil. Our sauce usually comes out of the oven thick and ready to serve, but if it is thin, simmer it until it coats the back of a spoon, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove the twine and serve the osso buco with plenty of sauce spooned over the top.

6. Optional Gremolata Garnish: For a traditional finish, combine two tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley, one clove of minced garlic, and the zest of 1 lemon. Sprinkle this bright mixture over the osso buco just before serving. The fresh herbs and citrus help cut through the richness of the dish.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: Like most braised dishes, osso buco tastes better when made a day ahead, giving the flavors time to meld. For best results, cook the dish until the meat is almost tender but not quite falling off the bone. Separate the meat from the braising liquid and let both cool separately. Once cooled, return the meat to the sauce, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight.

How to Store: Store the osso buco in its braising liquid in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months. Always freeze with the braising liquid to keep the meat moist. When packaging for the freezer, leave a little headspace in the container to allow for expansion.

How to Reheat: Gently warm in a covered pot until the sauce bubbles and the meat reaches that perfect, tender stage. Be careful not to overcook the beef.  The meat should be fork-tender but still hold its shape. Allow frozen osso buco to completely thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• Don’t crowd the pot when searing. Work in batches if needed – overcrowding creates steam instead of browning. Those browned bits create deep flavor in the final sauce.
• Prevent meat from curling. Cut small slits in the outer membrane of each shank before cooking. This helps the meat stay flat during searing and braising.
• Watch your temperature. Keep the braising liquid at a gentle simmer, not a boil. Boiling can make the meat tough and stringy.
• Check for proper doneness. The meat should reach an internal temperature of 180-185°F and offer little resistance when pierced with a fork while still holding its shape on the bone. 
• Let the meat rest. Give the osso buco 10 minutes before serving. This allows the meat to reabsorb its juices.
• Don’t waste the marrow. For extra richness, spoon some of the marrow from the bones into the sauce before serving.
• The sauce is too thin. After removing the meat, simmer the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon. For extra thickening, add a small amount of tomato paste or create a cornstarch slurry with equal parts cornstarch and cold water.

Frequently Asked Questions