This is the easiest way to make tender, crumbly beef bone marrow Osso Buco.

What percentage of Italian restaurants make the pasta portion more than the main course? We rarely do. If osso buco is on the menu, I will order it. You won’t be disappointed by a slow braised, melting-in-your-mouth beef shank with a tomato-y beefy sauce. Sometimes, you can even get a spoon to help with the bone marrow. It’s almost certain that it will be the best item on the menu. Osso buco can even be served with pasta.

And even better, it can be made at home in just an hour using the instant pot. It tastes as though you worked in the kitchen for hours. This recipe is perfect for special occasions, but it’s also easy enough to make on a weeknight.

What is osso buco, you ask?

Osso buco, an Italian dish consisting of veal shank braised in a white wine bone marrow-infused sauce from Lombard, is an Italian dish. The long braising time melts the connective tissue in the leg, leaving you with deliciously tender and juicy meat. Because the shank is a complex muscle with connective tissue, it just falls apart, which makes this dish unique. It’s slow-braised on the bone ( Osso Buco meaning bone with a hole), which gives the sauce its incredible richness and flavor.

This recipe didn’t use tomatoes in the past because they were a new crop. But, nowadays, almost everyone uses tomatoes to make them. The version we are making today is even better with fresher-tasting passata tomato sauce instead of canned tomatoes.

How to make osso buco

1. Rub the beef shanks with butter on both sides. The Instant Pot saute setting is high for about 2 minutes per side. It’s much easier than cooking on the stovetop. You will have less mess and splatter because the Instant Pot has high sides.
2. Prepare your aromatics. Transfer beef shanks to a plate to capture the juices. Then add the aromatics to the dish and cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Combine Wine with the deglaze. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of your instant pot. Let the wine simmer for at least two minutes or until it has reduced by half.
4. Braise. Add the beef shanks, passata, and herbs to an instant pot. Let it heat on high for one hour. The result will be tender and fall-apart meat.

Instant pot osso buco

Osso buco can be braise-it all-day. But, if there is one thing that the Instant pot (or any pressure cooker) excels in, it reduces the time to cook these dishes. This is my favorite option. You can also make this home by simmering the meat on the stove for about 4-6 hours. You can brown the meat and aromatics in an oven-proof pan or dutch oven. Then transfer to a 250-300oF range and bake for between 4-6 hours. You can check your liquid level every once in a while if you use an oven or stovetop.

Crockpot osso buco (or stovetop too)

What if you don’t have an instant pot? A crockpot is the next best option in this situation. Although the crockpot is not hot enough to brown the meat, it can cook other foods.

1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Transfer the meats to a crock pot. Could you turn it on high?
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet.
3. Add Wine to the mixture and reduce for about 2 minutes
4. Add passata. After it has warmed, place everything in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
5. After about 2 hours, reduce the heat to a low setting.
6. Enjoy!

You can also simmer the chicken in a skillet, even if you don’t own a crockpot. Add the shanks to the skillet, cover it, and turn the heat down. You can check back every hour to add water or passata if necessary.

Special dinner and chill

Traditionally, there were many steps and ingredients involved in this dish. Here I have reduced it to the essentials and let the flavors speak for themself. Steph and my husband went to an excellent Italian restaurant before I wrote this recipe. We enjoyed their 24-hour osso buco with extra marrow bone and veal shank. This one is much easier and better than the original.

The flour dredge was the biggest thing I took out. The flour dredge is usually used to brown the meat and thicken the sauces. This is unnecessary, as the bone marrow concentrated, rich sauce is enough. I also believe flour is optional. It will give your meat and sauce more body if you choose.

Veal vs. Beef Shank

Osso Buco’s default meat choice is veal. However, it can be challenging to find a veal shank. If you want to keep true to the original, it’s worth searching for. It should be easy to find at your local butcher shop or a major supermarket. Beef is just as good, if not better, and it’s much easier to find. Even though veal is technically cheaper meat, it’s often more affordable.

Osso buco ingredients

• Shank should be an affordable cut that is easy to find. Whole foods can carry beef shanks, but only veal if available at your local supermarket.
• Herbs for making a bouquet-garni. Because that was what I had, I added a sprig of oregano to the mix. It was delicious. You can add bay leaves, fresh parsley, fresh thyme, or Italian parsley if you have them. You don’t have to use it, so skip it.
• Passata – Uncooked, strained tomato puree. Passata is my favorite because of the fresh tomato flavor. However, you can use regular crushed tomatoes if you have them.
• White Wine. The addition of Wine to the dish adds complexity and authenticity that are hard to match. You can substitute it for sodium-free chicken stock if you don’t want to drink alcohol.

What are your options for serving it?

Osso Buco can be served with Risotto Gnocchi or Pasta. However, we prefer it with bread or on its alone. To make enough meat for two people, double the recipe.

A little caviar can make this a super-expensive option for Valentine’s Day dinners.