Pork Osso Buco Recipe
When you think of ossobuco, you most likely think of Ossobuco alla Milanese, a fabulous recipe from Milan, Italy made with braised veal shanks and just happens to be one of my all time favorite meals.
Here’s my recipe for classic veal ossobuco (also spelled osso buco or osso buco). I serve it with Gremolada made from parsley, lemon and garlic.
The name osso buco comes from the Italian Western Lombard language and translated means “hole bone” which is the shank that is filled with bone marrow that’s quite delicious. I like to remove it and use it in the sauce or just spoon it out and eat it as an extra treat at the end of the meal.
My First Experience with “PorkoBuco”
My wife and are were out for dinner at this small but fun Italian BYOB restaurant in Philadelphia with a group of friends after just attending the annual Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Car Show fund raiser.
We are dressed to the nines and find ourselves in this hole-in-wall restaurant with three large birthday parties going on around us, everyone having a great time. By the end of the night, everyone is singing happy birthday to anyone who dare claims they had a birthday in the past year. There is birthday cake being shared between tables, a very festive night.
The food in this place is terrific so we are all excited to hear the specials. The waiter comes over and says, “You all know what veal ossobuco is right? Well, we don’t have it tonight. Instead we are serving porkobuco!”
Since I’ve never had it before, I thought I would give it a try and ordered it. Pork osso buco is made just like the veal version except you use the pork shank instead of the veal shank.
Great Big Inexpensive Piece of Meat
The pork shank is big, meaty and looks more like a lamb shank and best of all is a fraction of the cost of veal shanks and much cheaper than lamb shanks. I think I paid under $3 per pound at my favorite pork butcher, Stolzfus Meats, in the Ardmore Farmers Market.
You may be more familiar with cured pork shanks, also called ham hocks that are sold for making split pea soup. You don’t want to use these for this recipe. If you can’t find fresh pork shanks, just ask your butcher to order you some and don’t let him overcharge you for them. They are very inexpensive.
One shank is enough for one person and makes an awesome display when served on mashed potatoes with that big bone sticking out. But be sure to buy extra shanks because there is nothing like leftover pork shank served over egg noodles with that rich incredible sauce.
Braising
The technique for cooking pork shanks or any shank for that matter is braising. Because the shank is a tough, inexpensive cut of meat, it needs long, slow moist cooking in a relatively low temperature to break down the tough connective tissue. If you have ever made a stew or pot roast, you used the technique of braising.
Pork Osso Buco Recipe
I pretty much followed my recipe for veal osso buco but modified it some to simplify both the ingredients and the process. Basically, you brown the shanks, brown the vegetables, and add all the ingredients into a big pot and slow cook for a couple of hours until the meat is falling off the bone. Easy.
Ingredients
1-tablespoon olive oil
4 pork shanks
Salt & Pepper
1 yellow onion, chopped
½ cup carrots, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic
3 anchovy fillets or 3 teaspoons anchovy paste (optional)
1 cup dry white wine
1-cup chicken stock (have some on reserve in case you need a little more)
1 - 14 oz can of diced tomato
Bouquet Garni (peel of 1 lemon, ¼ cup parsley sprigs, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf)
How to Make Pork Osso Buco at Home
Preheat your oven to 325º F. While the oven is heating up, prep your ingredients and then season the shanks with a little salt and pepper.
Once seasoned, heat the oil and brown the shanks in a large, ovenproof casserole pan or roasting pan. You can always brown them in a smaller fry pan, two at a time, and then transfer them to a bigger pan.
I use my Le Creuset oval French oven for all my braising and it works great. I can brown the meat and vegetables and then just throw the pan into the oven. It is cast iron under that gorgeous enamel coating producing nice even heat when cooking.
When the shanks are browned, remove them and add the vegetables to the pan. Sauté the vegetables for just a few minutes until they start to brown a little. They will continue to cook with the meat while braising. If the vegetables appear dry, add a touch more olive oil. You can add the anchovy at this point if you are using it.
Add the wine to deglaze the pan of all the brown bits of meat and vegetables that might be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook down until most of it is cooked off. Add the chicken stock and diced tomato (with juice) and bring to a boil.
As soon as you come to a boil, turn off the heat, add the pork shanks and Bouquet Garni, cover with a tight fitting lid and transfer to the oven. Let this cook for about 2 hours. When the meat is tender and falling off the bone, it’s done.
To Make The Tastiest Sauce Ever
When the meat is done, carefully remove the shanks from the pot trying not to let all the meat fall off the bone. Also remove and discard the Bouquet Garni. Using a hand blender if you have one, puree the sauce until smooth. If you don’t have one, use your regular blender or food processor. You can also use a food mill too if you have one.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
How I To Serve It
I like to serve this dish with mashed potatoes. I use a large soup bowl that’s more like a deep plate. Start with the potatoes in the center of the bowl, cover the potatoes with sauce, and then top with a pork shank. There will be plenty of sauce so bring some to the table in a gravy boat in case your family or friends want some extra sauce. They will.
In the photo above, you see I served the pork osso buco with pasta. Two reasons; I didn’t have potatoes on hand and even if I did, my kids really wanted pasta that night. Doesn’t matter. The kids loved the meat and the sauce on the pasta was incredible.
This is an inexpensive; as good as it gets meal for this time of year. I highly recommend you give it a try.
on January 3rd, 2008 at 12:44 pm
This looks absolutely gorgeous! I’ve already e-mailed the farmer I get pork from to see if I can get unsmoked shanks from him. I adore osso buco but have made it only with veal up to now. Wanting to stick with locally bought meats as I do, the porkabuco may be a wonderful substitute.
on January 6th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I just ate Pork Osso Buco at a small restaurant in Mandeville, La and it was so delicious that I wondered how I could get the recipe and Now I Have! I can’t wait to get to the butcher shop and get the pork shanks-
on January 11th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
tonight i made your osso bucco recipe with veal and i have tried many recipes in the past and yours is:” simply the best” the sauce was excellent i did add more garlic but definately a must for dinner guest on a cold canadian wit inter’s night. thank you meg from Canada….
on February 20th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
The Stinking Rose-A Garlic Place, in SanFran used to serve the most wonderful pork osso buco. I had it on my ‘maiden’ trip to the city a few years back. Was very disappointed to not find it on the menu on my visit there this past summer. I will try to find unsmoked pork shanks and give this a try. thanks
on March 28th, 2008 at 7:10 am
Buy the shanks at an Asian supermarket, very inexpensive. You can get them whole or if large, they’ll be happy to cut then into several thick slices through the bone. Enjoy!!
on March 30th, 2008 at 7:32 am
Tried this dish last night. Simple recipe to follow. Might add that you need to skin the hocks/shanks b/f braising– as I think there often sold w. skin on. Guests thought it was wonderful, especially when served over mashed potatoes–I added some horseradish to my mashers which seemed to fit with the flavors well. Recommend finding a good butcher and working up the leg toward the shank, as some hocks can be too skimpy on the meat content. Dish makes a great presentation. Dutch oven is a must. Thanks from Minnesota.
on May 6th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Hi There,
I am going to make your Pork Osso Buco and I have 10 Pork Shanks. Do I just triple your recipe for the ingredients and go from there?
on May 7th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I had Pork Osso Buco at a little Italian restaurant in Belmont, Ca (Caprino’s) at a private party - it was the best I’ve ever had! I don’t care much for the Veal Osso Buco, so this was perfect! Happy to have a recipe to create it myself!
on February 25th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
I had a similar dish (pork) at Dino’s in downtown Roseburg, OR. It was fantastic. The owner waits on you and the owner’s boss is the cook (his wife). Dino is very entertaining.
on April 29th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Cafe Rel in the back of a gas station in Franklin NC serves pork osso buco and it is incredible. Thanks for your recipe so I can try at home.
on July 20th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Everything’s ok, BUT NOT PASTA AS A SIDE, please! Rice, instead.
Pasta has to be eaten before the meat.
An integralist from Auckland, Nz
on August 3rd, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Seared the shank for 7 minutes/side on a grill. Roasted the vegetables in the bottom of a pressure cooker, added the grilled shank, and pressure cooked for 45 minutes. Removed shank (carefully, as it does fall off the bone), pureed the sauce, and my picky 10 and 6-year old loved it over the pasta.
It is the best sauce ever. Thanks.
on August 12th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Your recipe rocks! I saw an episode of ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’ that featured a restaurant that made pork osso buco, and have been on a search for the perfect recipe ever since… and I do believe I have found it! They suggested serving it with/over pasta as well, but when I made it, I served it over polenta, and it was heaven… thanks for sharing the recipe!
on August 16th, 2009 at 8:09 am
You are welcome Ken and thanks for suggesting serving it over polenta.
on September 30th, 2009 at 7:29 am
I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to find this recipe. I’ve had the pork in the freezer for a couple of months and didn’t know what to do with it. I have it in the oven at the moment and am really looking forward to eating it this evening, it smells fantastic! Many thanks for the recipe. Will let you know reactions tomorrow.
on October 6th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Can you eat the bone marrow for the pork osso bucco, like you can the veal?
on October 6th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Sure, it’s not AS flavorful in my opinion but it still is delicious.
on November 6th, 2009 at 10:19 am
I am picking up my shanks later today to try this for Sundays dinner. I will be making a classic parmesan risotto as a side. Let you know how it turn out on Monday.