it doesn’t get much better than this slow-cooked osso bucco. this italian-inspired recipe comprising of rich beef flavours, vegetables and paired with a zesty gremolata work so amazingly together, is so simple to prepare, and the wait is certainly worth it! the best thing about this recipe is that it gets better and tastier the longer you cook it.
First published at www.transformationcookbook.com
Ingredients:
10 beef (or veal) shin bone chops (osso bucco)
250g butternut pumpkin, seeded and cut into chunks
1 eggplant, cut into 3cm cubes
2 carrots, sliced
2 zucchini, sliced
200g mushrooms, sliced
1 brown onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 red capsicum, deseeded and cut into chunks
200g grape or cherry tomatoes
1-1.5 cups frozen peas
cracked pepper
Marinade sauce:
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp lemon zest
1/2 tbsp orange rind
2 tbsp rosemary sprigs or mixed italian herbs
200ml beef stock, salt-reduced
200ml tomato passata
3 tbsp BBQ sauce
Gremolata:
Zest of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
6 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
pinch of salt
Step 1: place into the slow-cooker’s/crockpot ceramic insert, pumpkin, eggplant, and carrots. then add 5-6 osso buco chops on top.
Step 2: add the zucchini, mushrooms, onion and celery, and top with the remaining osso buco chops. finish off by adding the capsicum and grape tomatoes.
Step 3: in a large jug, whisk together all marinade ingredients. i like adding the sweet BBQ sauce to the marinade as it adds a deep, rich flavour to the dish. alternatively you can swap the bbq sauce and whisk into the jug 2 tbsp salt-reduced soy sauce either, 2 tbsp honey or 2 tbsp brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon.
Step 4: pour the marinade over the osso buco and vegetables, season with pepper, and place the lid on top. set the temperature on low, and cook for 10-12 hours.
Step 5: about 30 mins prior to serving, stir in the frozen peas and return the lid.
Step 6: when done, plate up, garnish with fresh gremolata or just parsley. can be eaten on its own, or served with rice or quinoa for a post-workout meal or with extra vegetable and salad.
TIP:
• to thicken the sauce, in a small jug add 1-2 tbsp of cornflour mixed with 100mls water and whisk to make a creamy paste/slurry. pour into the slow cooker/crockpot and stir through. you may need to repeat the process until desired thickness of the sauce is attained.
• don’t lift the lid. an extra 40-50 minutes will have to be added to the overall cooking time if you do. lifting the lid lowers the inside temperature and it takes this long to reheat.
• general rule when adding liquid to a slow cooker/crockpot is around 350-400ml. the slow cooking process actually doesn’t allow steam to evaporate; steam is trapped and produces moisture. so you will find, the dish will have a lot more liquid than added conce the cooking is complete.
• cut vegetables uniform. this allows for even cooking.
• layer the vegetables. denser vegetables like pumpkin, eggplant, carrots require longer cooking time, so add these first into the ceramic insert. then place the meat on top.
