Serves two good eaters. You can also make this with lamb shanks. Osso buco is traditionally served with risotto. I also like to serve it with a hearty grain like faro or barley.
Ingredients
Olive oil, enough to film the bottom of a sauté pan or your pressure cooker
1 1/2 pounds veal shanks or lamb shanks
salt and pepper
1 generous cup onions, fine dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup carrot, fine dice
½ cup celery, fine dice
2 sprigs thyme
1 ½ cups chicken stock
—OR—
1 ½ cups beef stock
1 cup dry wine (optional)
use red wine with beef stock
use white wine with chicken stock
1 ½ cups canned tomatoes with their juice
Germolata
1 tbl grated lemon peel, avoid the white pith
¼ cup parsley, minced
½ -1 tsp garlic, minced
Instructions
Season the veal or lamb shanks with salt and pepper. In a sauté pan or the bottom of your pressure cooker, brown them and set aside.
If necessary, add a little more oil. Sauté the diced onion until it is transparent and then add the carrot, celery, garlic and thyme. Cook until fragrant.
If using, add the wine and reduce until almost dry. Add the veal shanks back to the pan, then add the stock and tomatoes with their juice. Lock on the cover.
Bring pressure up to high and cook for 12 minutes. Let the pressure drop naturally, 7 to 10 minutes. Skim the fat off the top; continue to simmer until desired tenderness. If you want to further concentrate the flavors, remove the shanks and rapidly boil the pan juices to reduce the sauce. Adjust the seasonings and sprinkle with gremolata, or serve this condiment on the side. This is also great the next day after flavors have melded, and you can easily remove the congealed fat on top.