A dish originating from Milan, Italy, osso buco has become a hot dinner selection on restaurant menus. Learn how to make your own at home with this recipe using venison shanks. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo)
June 20, 2022
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Osso buco is an excellent option to utilize venison shanks, which are full of gristle and silver skin that become melt-in-your-mouth tender after slow cooking. Though not as large as on beef shanks, the bone marrow also is an added treat; an unctuous, rich-flavored delicacy sadly thrown away by most hunters. This osso buco recipe truly allows this part of the deer to shine.
Serves: 6 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 4 hours
Venison Osso Buco Ingredients:
4 venison bone-in shanks, cross-cut 2 inches thick Kosher salt, to taste Freshly cracked pepper, to taste ½ cup of all-purpose flour 4 to 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil 1 large onion, chopped 3 large carrots, chopped 3 ribs of celery, chopped Half a red bell pepper, sliced 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed 2 tablespoons of tomato paste Herbs: 2 bay leaves, 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, 4 sprigs of fresh thyme 1 cup of dry white wine, such as chardonnay 1½ cups of Italian chopped tomatoes (e.g. Dei Fratelli brand) 2 to 3 cups of chicken broth Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish Grated zest of 2 lemons, for garnish Special Equipment: cooking twine Polenta Ingredients:
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2 cups of uncooked corn grits/polenta 8 cups of water 4 tablespoons of butter Kosher salt, to taste 8 ounces of goat cheese or cream cheese Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. If needed, wash off as much bone fragments/dust as possible from deer shank slices. Pat dry with paper towels and tie each shank snugly with cooking twine. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over meat. Then dredge each piece in flour – all sides – shaking off excess.Dredge venison shanks, shaking off excess flour as needed. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo) In a cast-iron Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Brown tops and bottoms of dredged venison for golden crust; brown in batches and do not overcrowd the pan. Add more oil as necessary. Transfer browned venison to a plate and set aside. Then reduce heat to medium. If necessary, carefully discard black-burnt bits of leftover flour in the bottom of the pan, but leave the browned bits; that’s the good stuff.Careful not to overcrowd the pan when browning the venison shanks. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo) Add more oil to pan if needed. Add onion, carrot, celery, red bell pepper and a pinch of salt and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until onions turn translucent, stirring often. Next, add smashed cloves of garlic, tomato paste and herbs and sauté for 1 minute.Sauté vegetables and herbs in the pan for about a minute. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo) Pour in white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Allow mixture to bubble for 5 minutes. Return all venison shanks to the pan. Add chopped tomatoes and then pour in enough chicken broth to almost cover the meat.Pour in chicken broth so it covers the venison shanks in the pot. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo) Cover the Dutch oven with aluminum foil and then place the lid on top; this ensures a tight fit. Braise in a 325-degree oven for approximately 3 hours, or until venison is tender but not overcooked and mushy. Check halfway through to make sure you still have enough liquid. You shouldn’t lose much liquid throughout cooking process if your Dutch oven lid is tight, but if you do, add more broth. About 20 minutes before taking the venison out of the oven, prepare the polenta by bringing 4 cups of water to a boil. Slowly whisk in corn grits to prevent lumps, turn heat to low and cook for 10 minutes or until polenta is thickened and tender. Stir in butter, goat cheese and salt to taste. Polenta will set if it sits too long. Slowly reheat with some water to loosen it up again.Prepare the polenta 20 minutes before the venison osso buco has finished cooking in the oven. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo) When the venison osso buco is done, carefully remove shanks from the Dutch oven so they don’t fall apart, and then cut off cooking twine. Strain pan sauce through a fine mesh strainer, mashing the vegetables down to squeeze as much sauce out as possible. Discard solids and taste sauce for seasoning.Strain the vegetables from the venison osso buco sauce and discard. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo) Ladle polenta into a bowl. Place venison shank on top of polenta with some sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon zest. Use a toothpick to loosen up the bone marrow. About This Venison Osso Buco Recipe A dish originating from Milan, Italy, osso buco is a popular choice for restaurant goers looking for something different. I’ve made variations of osso buco over the years with both beef and venison, and every time, they’ve been memorable meals for all around the dinner table. While saffron risotto is the traditional Milanese way to serve with osso buco, I find polenta, pasta or mashed potatoes also work with this dish. I prefer polenta because it tastes luxurious and takes only 15 minutes to make!
The satisfaction in enjoying fork-tender venison served in a deeply layered, savory sauce can’t be beat. I love osso buco because it’s simple but offers big, hearty flavors in an elegant, impressive meal. Give venison osso buco a try; I promise you it won’t be the last time you make this dish.
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