Slow-cooked Ossobuco

Now is the perfect time to get out the crock pot or put on a true slow cooked winter dish. I always cook this the day before, so that the flavours develop overnight. If you can’t find any beef or veal, no problem – this dish is also perfect made with lamb shanks, oxtail, wild meats and tougher cheap cuts of meat that will only get better when slowly cooked! 
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 4 large pieces of beef or veal shin, about 4cm thick
• ½ cup each chopped onion, celery and carrot
• 3 cloves garlic grated
• 1 cup white wine
• 4 cups meat stock (beef or chicken)
• 4 strips of lemon zest
• 6 fresh sage leaves chopped

Method

In a large fry pan heat the oil until hot, season the meat with salt, fry until browned all over. Set aside on a plate.

Add a little more oil to the pan then gently fry the vegetables and garlic. Add the wine and reduce by half then add the stock.

Add the lemon zest and sage then place the meat, vegetables and stock into an oven proof casserole.  Cover with a piece of greaseproof paper and tin foil, then a tight fitting lid.  Cook in the oven at 150C for 3 hours.

The next day gently reheat the ossobuco and stock, strain off the stock and place it in a small sauce pan and reduce it down to form a thick rich sauce. 

Serve hot ossobuco with risotto, polenta, pearl barley or mashed potatoes.