Osso Buco-Style Beef Shanks Recipe Melts In Your Mouth (No Knife Needed) by Donna John

A local meat market had some beautiful beef shanks, so you know I immediately started looking for new beef shank recipes. After much overthinking, I decided to make the beef shanks osso buco style, with some twists.

Osso buco (ossobuco) is a Northern Italian dish made with cross-cut veal shanks. The beef shanks are braised in a broth, wine and vegetables. Osso buco means "bone with a hole," and refers to the round bone in the shank. The bone is filled with marrow that melts into the broth as it braises. So delicious!

This osso buco-style beef shanks recipe is slowly braised on the stovetop in a rich broth filled with aromatic spices. The high-protein, one-pan recipe turned out amazing and will be on dinner repeat.

Here is your shopping list for this gluten-free recipe: beef shanks, onion, fresh garlic, olive oil, dried thyme, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, canned diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth or water and a lemon for juicing. (Check out the health benefits of protein and the health benefits of tomatoes.)

Cooking Tips: There's enough sauce to cook up to four beef shanks. I only cooked two because there's just the two of us. Sometimes I like to add a vegetable (or two) toward the end of cooking time. Carrots, potatoes, spinach, green beans or mushrooms work really well and "beef" up the dish even more.

Serve these fall-off-the-bone tender beef shanks for dinner over potatoes, grits, polenta, egg noodles, rice of your favorite grain. I served mine with roasted potatoes and fresh green beans on the side.

Fun Fact: You often see osso buco spelled with two C's (osso bucco), but that is a misspelling in English.

Cuisine: Italian / American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 1/2 to 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 2 to 4

Ingredients

• 2 - 4 beef shanks
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 15 ounces (1 can) diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 6 ounces (1 can) tomato paste
• 6 ounces beef broth or water
• 1 lemon wedge

Here's how to make it: 

1. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven with a lid. Season the beef shanks with salt and pepper, if desired, and place in the hot oil. Brown well on both sides. Remove to a plate. (I seasoned my beef shanks lightly with Lawry's Seasoned Salt.)
   
2. Add the onion and garlic and cook until onion softens a bit and you can smell the garlic, about 2 minutes.
   
3. Add the thyme, rosemary, marjoram and oregano. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute.
   
4. Add the can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste and broth or water. (Fill the empty tomato paste can with the broth to add.) Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
   
5. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
   
6. Put the beef shanks and any liquid on the plate back into the pot. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the shanks are fork tender. (You really can't overcook these beef shanks, though the bone may fall out of the shank the longer it cooks. You can add more broth or water, if needed, as it cooks. I did not have to do this.)
   
7. Squeeze the juice from one lemon wedge into the broth and gently stir. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. (You could also stir in some lemon zest, if desired.) Serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.
   

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