Total Time:
5 hours
Servings: 2
About…
Hello sunny friends!
As some of you might know, it has been quite a challenging couple of months. Winter is generally my least favourite season, with lots of rain, a grey sky most of the time, and a damp cold that penetrates the body to the bone marrow. I cannot tell you how many chills run up and down my spine throughout the day, it’s a burden that never leaves me. The other night I was in bed, crawled up in two duvet layers, and I was still feeling cold. And if that’s not enough, I regularly build up a lot of tension around my neck and shoulder area, because I’m always clunching my shoulders to resist the cold weather. And my hands are eternally purple looking.
From this perspective, I would feel much more comfortable living in hot climates, as long as they’re dry. But England has many positive sides to it too. Even in the city you can find wilderness, and you can go foraging, all things I enjoy! Plus, I love mince pies, and fish & chips, and the local farmers market…
So throughout this cold months, I seal myself indoors as much as possible, and I try to prepare dinners that are hearty, and filling, and comforting. Sort of an anti-depression medicine. So I cook my heart out in soups and stews, which hold heat for long, and are also super filling.
Now, out of all the recipes I developed so far, this ossobuco is one of my favourites. Yes, it is time consuming, but it’s so delicious, it’s meaty and juicy, and it’s not at all difficult to do. Most of the time in this recipe involves a slow cooking in the oven, as it tenderizes the meat and cooks it to sheer perfection, so you can always go about your business whilst the oven is doing the job for you. I mean, I wouldn’t feel confortable leaving the house for hours, but a quick run to the grocery store wouldn’t be a problem. You know what I mean right?
Please tell me that if you make it you’ll eat the bone marrow too!? It’s bad enought that my husband left his bone marrow to me (I mean yay, extra goodness for me, but sometimes I truly thinks he doesn’t know what eating good food means). I would be so sad to hear someone else doesn’t like it.
This ossobuco surely doesn’t have the power to heal from perennial cold, or from depression, or anxiety, or PMS, but it will surely bring you at least a smile on your face, and warmth to your belly! I am happy with that.
By the way, some of you might wonder what ossobuco is.. am I right? You can find “ossobuco” as is practically everywhere in the world (that I know of), but you can also find it under the name “beef shank”. It is a cross cut of meat that comes from the leg of the cow. Because legs are very muscular parts of these animals, always standing and roaming around, the meat is quite tough, and so it need a prolonged cooking time at lower temperatures, to melt down the collagen and tenderize the meat.
I took the habit to eat meat no more than once a week, and sometimes I don’t eat it for 2 or 3 weeks. But I do have a mild lactose intolerance, and beans (as much as I love them) do tend to make me a bit uncomfortable, so I’m trying to giggle things to the best of my capabilities. When I do buy meat, I choose grass fed organic supplies, even though that means the price is higher. But at least I’m trying to make more ethical choices.
Anyhow, I hope you will give this ossobuco a try, and if you do, I would love to hear your feedback!
Simonetta
Ingredients
Method
Method here