Beef Shin "Osso Bucco" with Risotto Milanese Recipe

Give this Milanese and risotto recipe a go this week for a hearty meal that will leave all the family feeling satisfied - it takes a little while to cook, but the tender beef is totally worth the wait.

HOW TO MAKE BEEF SHIN "OSSO BUCCO" WITH RISOTTO MILANESE

Ingredients

• 4 thick slices beef shin on the bone
• 2tbsp seasoned flour
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 carrots, cut into chunks
• 1 can good-quality tomatoes
• 1 litre (1¾pt) fresh beef stock
• 1tbsp tomato purée and 1 bay leaf

for the risotto

• 75g (3oz) butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 250g (9oz) risotto rice
• good pinch saffron
• 850ml (1½pt) chicken stock
• 60g (2½oz) Parmesan, finely grated

for the gremolata

• zest 1 lemon
• good handful chopped parsley
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated

Method

1. To make the osso bucco, heat some oil in a large frying pan, toss the meat in the seasoned flour, brown on both sides and set aside. Add the onions, garlic and carrots to the pan and cook until slightly softened. Put the mixture in a lidded casserole dish, add the tomatoes, stock, tomato purée and bay leaf, and let it bubble for 10 minutes on a high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, add the meat, replace the lid and leave for 4 to 5 hours or until very tender, then season. Mix together the gremolata ingredients.
2. To make the risotto, melt the butter in a saucepan and fry the onion for 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly to stop the rice from sticking to the pan. Add the saffron to the stock, stir and add to the pan just a ladleful at a time, still constantly mixing throughout this process. After 20 minutes, check if the rice is cooked - it should still have a little bite. Once it's ready, stir in the Parmesan and plenty of seasoning. To serve, top the meat with the gremolata, and serve with the risotto.