Venison Osso Buco with Gremolata
• Prep Time: 6 hours 15 minutes • Yields: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
1 Fossil Farms Venison Osso Buco, average 2 lbs. pkg.
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
¾ cup red wine,
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. fresh lemon zest, finely grated
Equipment:
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. On the stovetop, heat a braiser or large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Season the Venison osso buco with salt and pepper.
3. Add butter and olive oil to pot, then, working in small batches, brown osso buco on both sides. Remove browned osso buco to a platter.
4. Reduce heat to medium and saute onion until golden brown, adding a little more oil if necessary. Add carrot and celery and saute until tender.
5. Add garlic and saute 1 minute (don’t let it burn). Add red wine and de-glaze the pot by scraping up the crusty bits with a wooden spoon or spatula.
6. Add tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves, and thyme to pot. Return the osso buco to the pan along with any accumulated juices.
7. Cover the pot and cook in the 325°F oven until meat is tender, at least 4-6 hours.
8. When tender, a fork or knife will easily pierce the meat and separate it.
9. If meat is not tender, just keep cooking. There is no such thing as tough osso buco, just osso buco that hasn’t been cooked enough.
10. When the osso buco is tender, remove them from the pot onto a warm platter. Reduce the remaining pan juices by about half on the stovetop over high heat.
11. If necessary, the sauce can be thickened with a water and cornstarch slurry or beurre manie (softened butter and flour mixture).
12. Prepare gremolata by mixing together parsley, garlic and lemon zest in a small bowl.
13. Serve osso buco topped with sauce and gremolata. Osso buco goes well with “white” creamy sides such as risotto, polenta, bean puree, or simply creamy mashed potatoes