Pantry Inventory Is Back Under Control But We Still Have Used Meat - Slow Cooker Beef Osso Buco with Gremolata

The past few weeks there has been a large amount of beef shanks in various market's Used Meat sections. We accumulated about 2 1/2 pounds from three different store runs, at two different stores. I haven't cooked those before but as I learned from Julia Child, cuts of meat regardless of animal are usually handled in similar fashions. I love lamb shanks but haven't found them on a regular basis around these parts, but figured I could cook them the same way basically.

I generally go with either polenta or risotto with shanks, particularly Risotto alla Milanese if I'm doing true Osso Buco with veal, but The Colonel doesn't seem to be very found of polenta. I decided to go with Milanese since this is beef, and last time I checked, so is veal.

The one change I make with the risotto is that you usually go with chicken broth to accompany veal Osso Buco, but I referred to a recipe from Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian, and went with beef broth. I would use chicken again next time even with beef as the protein. It felt a little heavier with beef broth and chicken really lets the color of the saffron through better.It was still very good but I felt like the camp cook from City Slickers looking at it: You ain't gonna get no Nouvelle Cuisine. Food's hot, brown and there's lots of it.

The gremolata is important. It adds a citrusy and herbal-y bite to the dish and is one of my favorite add-ons to roasts and grilled meats of all kinds.

The puppy, who became a full grown adult of 1 year on 2/14/16, is in heaven with the marrow bones. She has a damned fine life. I want to be a dog.

Mangia!

Slow Cooker Beef Osso Buco with Gremolata

Adapted from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

For the Shanks:

4 cross-cut, bone-in beef shanks (about 2 1/2 pounds total)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, divided

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

1 stalk celery, diced (about 3/4 cup)

2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 4 teaspoons)

1/2 cup red wine

1 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium beef stock

1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

4 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

For the Gremolata:

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 tablespoon grated zest from 1 or 2 lemons

2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

For the Shanks: Pat shanks dry using a paper towel. Place 1 cup flour on a plate. Season beef with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until lightly smoking. Add meat and cook without moving until well browned on first side, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on second side, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer to a slow cooker.

Add onion, carrots, and celery to the Dutch oven, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin have softened, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and garlic. Stir and continue cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Add wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot using a wooden spoon.

Transfer the contents to a slow cooker and add stock, vinegar, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, and ground clove. Season with salt and pepper and cook on low until meat is tender, about 6 hours.

Remove the meat and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves.

(After this point, the recipe proceeds to direct you to make a flour-thickened sauce. I have left the instructions here, but I don't bother. The flour on the meat gives enough thickening for me, so I remove the meat, strain the liquid and reduce it down by about a third over high heat on the stove top.)

Skim fat from the sauce and transfer 1/2 cup of gravy to a medium saucepan. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour into the reserved gravy until no lumps remain. Add the rest of the sauce to the saucepan. Whisking frequently, bring the sauce to a rolling boil over high heat and cook until the sauce achieves a gravy-like consistency, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Gremolata: Meanwhile, combine parsley, lemon zest, and garlic in a small bowl

Arrange shanks on a platter and spoon sauce on top. Garnish with gremolata and serve.