Beef Osso Buco with Gremolata

If you're into meat, it's hard to resist a rich, flavourful slow-cooked beef dish on a cold winters night. This recipe takes around 30 minutes to prepare, then kick back and let the slow cooker do rest of the work.

Ingredients...

For the beef:

• 4 cross-cut, bone-in beef osso bucco rounds (about 1kg total)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose 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 dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Pinch ground cloves

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)

Method...

1. For the beef: 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.

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

3. 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.

4. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. 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.

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

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

Enjoy!