I love osso bucco, the perfect example of peasant cooking. The big round of shank meat, the herb and citrus flavor of the gremolata, the melting marrow from the big central bone. The only thing is - traditionally, it is made with veal shank. And with the cost of veal, this really isn't peasant cooking any more.
*OK, I'm cheap. Well, until it's time to buy a new kitchen gadget, then I won't be stopped. You expect me to be consistent?
Luckily, beef shanks are a lot less expensive than veal shanks, and provide just as good of a meal. Here's my "weeknight" osso bucco, prepared in the pressure cooker.
*Don't have a pressure cooker? No worries. See the Variations section for instructions on cooking with a standard dutch oven.
For another Italian style braised beef recipe in the pressure cooker, check out my Instant Pot Boneless Short Ribs.
Recipe: Pressure Cooker Beef Shank (Osso Bucco)
Inspired By: Lorna Sass Pressure Perfect
Equipment
- Pressure cooker, at least 6 quarts (I use my giant Kuhn Rikon 12-quart pressure cooker)
Pressure Cooker Beef Shank (Osso Bucco)
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Pressure cooker osso bucco. Beef shanks, meltingly tender in under an hour.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 6 thick beef shank slices (1 ½ to 2 inches thick), about 3 pounds
- 3 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 sprigs thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup chicken stock (preferably homemade)
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes
Gremolata
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup parsley leaves
Instructions
- Season and sear the shanks in two batches: Trim all the fat you can from the outside of the beef shanks, then (optionally) tie with twine to hold them together. Season the shanks with 3 teaspoons salt and 1 ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat in the pressure cooker pot until shimmering. Add half the shanks, and sear for 3 minutes per side, or until well browned. Remove the browned shanks to a bowl. Add the second half of the shanks to the pot, and sear for 3 minutes per side. Move the second batch into to the bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil and fat in the cooker.
- Saute the aromatics: Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, tomato paste, and thyme to the pot. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Saute for five minutes, or until the onions are softened. Add the chicken stock and wine to the pot, increase the heat to high, and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits from the bottom.
- Pressure cook the shanks: Add the shanks and any liquid in their bowl back into the pot. Submerge the shanks in the liquid as much as possible. Pour the tomatoes on top, but don't stir. Lock the lid on the pressure cooker, bring the pressure cooker up to high pressure, then cook at high pressure for 30 minutes in a stovetop PC, 36 minutes in an electric PC. Remove from the heat, allow the pressure to come down naturally for 15 minutes, then quick release any pressure left in the pot.
- Prepare the gremolata: While the shanks are cooking, make the gremolata. Mince the garlic, lemon zest, and parsley leaves together, then toss in a small bowl to combine.
- Prepare the sauce: Remove the shanks to a serving platter. Pour the sauce into a fat separator, let it rest for ten minutes for the fat to surface, then pour into a serving boat. To serve, put a shank on the plate, pour some sauce over the top, then sprinkle a little gremloata on top.
Equipment
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Sunday Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 shank
- Calories: 371
- Sugar: 4.8 g
- Sodium: 1049.7 mg
- Fat: 10.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.7 g
- Protein: 52 g
- Cholesterol: 89.8 mg
Notes
- Veal Osso Bucco: As I said in the opening, real osso buco uses veal shank, not beef shank. Veal shank tastes great…but is really expensive. If you can afford it (or find it cheap), it cooks exactly like beef shanks - use the same instructions and timing.
- Don't have a pressure cooker? No worries. Use a heavy bottomed dutch oven with a lid, and increase the amount of chicken stock to 2 cups. Follow the instructions right up until "lock the lid". Then, instead of pressure cooking, bring the pot to a boil, and cover with the lid. Move the pot to a preheated 350*F oven and bake for 2 hours, until the beef shanks are tender. Continue with the prepare the gremolata step.
- Serve with polenta or mashed potatoes to soak up the extra sauce. Also, the marrow in the bones may be the best part of the meal - scoop it out and serve on toast. (Or just eat it straight up, like I do.)
- If you have the time, refrigerate the shanks overnight to help remove the fat. After cooking, let the shanks cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight, or up to 3 days. This will let the fat rise to the surface and solidify. To serve, lift the solid fat from the shanks, then reheat the shanks over medium heat on the stove.
- The marrow is the best part of this dish, especially spread on toast. Mmmm...beef marrow...
What do you think? Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts:
Pressure Cooker Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)
Pressure Cooker Short Ribs with Mexican Flavors
Pressure Cooker Chinese Pork with Dried Plum Sauce
Instant Pot Easy Braised Oxtail
Inspired by:
Lorna Sass Pressure Perfect
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Ilene says
Oh lord this was sooo good! And the gremalata made all the difference!! I couldn't believe how sprinkling that on could make such a huge difference!!
The meat fell off the bone and the marrow is definitely the best part! I removed the meat and bones, then used my immersion blender to make a sauce. Turn the pot on saute until the sauce was thick and reduced. Make this now!!! Absolutely delicious!!
Mike Vrobel says
Thanks, glad you liked it!
Dani says
This was delicious! I didn't prepare the gremolata (no lemons and we don't love garlic) but the meat itself was very flavorful and easy to prepare. We'll definitely make this again!
Mike Vrobel says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Mike Vrobel says
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Julie says
Excellent! Followed recipe except my 4 shanks weighted more than 3 lbs. The marrow was no longer in the bone when I took the meat out. I made this a few months ago and we loved it. I served over orzo. I can't remember if its soupy enough to call it stew. Can I cut carrots, celery, and onion into chunks instead of diced and convert it to a stew? I just think the beef shank is perfect meat for a stew!
Mike Vrobel says
You can cut the vegetables into chunks...but they are probably going to disintegrate after 30 minutes in the pressure cooker.
Shanna Munoz says
This is the fourth time I’ve made this. It’s an excellent recipe. Thank you. I’m just wondering what is everybody cook as a side dish?
Mike Vrobel says
I make mashed potatoes or polenta as a side.
Suzanne says
I served it over quick cooking grits because I needed something quick and I did not have any polenta here in Korea. My son also used some of the leftover ciabatta to mop up the goodness.
Britt Wambach says
Hey Mike! Can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this recipe yet, since I’ve made it at least a half a dozen times over the past year! So, OMG! Thanks so much for what you do! You have some terrific recipes, as well as techniques! I’ve been pressure cooking with my Ninja Foodi for almost 4 years and love finding sites like yours that highlight delicious, gourmet food done quickly! I always buy shanks when I can find them on sale, and your recipe includes typical pantry and fridge staples. It’s also versatile when serving: I’ve served this over mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, risotto, rice, noodles, etc! Thanks again! So delightful!
Mike Vrobel says
You’re welcome!
Pontus Rydin says
OMG! This is one of the best recipes ever! I forgot to buy crushed tomatoes, so I throw in a can of Amy’s chunky tomato soup. Absolutely insanely delicious! Saved the broth. It makes an amazing soup!
aoc says
Do the shanks have to be cooked in a single layer, or can you stagger them on top of each other?
Mike Vrobel says
Staggering works - just don't pack them in too tight.
Lola Hernandez says
I got beef shanks in my 5 Mary's farm club box and had no idea what to do with them. I found your recipe and made it tonight and it was delicious. Now I'm hoping we get beef shanks again!
Mike Vrobel says
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Cindy says
We really enjoyed the flavor of the beef, and the gremolata made the flavor pop! Next time I will thicken the sauce a little though. I felt like it was too thin. The clover was amazing though!
Nansile says
My hubby loves Osso Bucco, if it is ever on the menu, he orders it. And he is a fussy eater. I am trying it tonight in my Ninja Cooker, roasting it tho. Hope he love is. I could not find veal shanks in our small town, so Beef shanks it is. Thank you for the recipe.
Barb says
I found some lovely shanks on sale today, so did a quick search and came up with this one. Osso Bucco for lunch, we live in amazing times!
Jessica says
Making this for the 2nd time tomorrow (for Easter dinner!). Incredible recipe, we love the rich bone marrow paired with the zesty gremolata. Lovely, thank you!
Mike Vrobel says
You're welcome! I'm glad you're enjoying it as much as I do.
Bonnie says
Excellent! The sauce is very tasty. I forgot the tomato paste but it still tasted great. The paste may have thickened the sauce a bit. I have printed out the recipe and will certainly make it again.... and again...
Margi says
Made this last week and we are still snacking on it. Even nuked (do it gently with your microwave set to half power for about 30-40 seconds) it is still pretty great. Wish I could add a pic here, but I did post to Instagram. Used baby carrots instead of chopped and had to brown half of the shanks in a skillet due to time constraints because my shanks were huge--other than that I followed the recipe. Like many have said, when you Google an InstaPot recipe you are bound to find dadcooksdinner and he notoriously pulls off every recipe he posts (at least that has been my experience. This is now exception. Only thing I do different is add a bit of olive oil to my gremolata. Its just the way a learned in culinary school, but not everyone does it and it does add fat. Anyway, thanks "dad" it was delish.
Mike Vrobel says
Thanks!
Susanne says
I’ve had my pressure cooker for more than a year and have never used it. A few months ago, several beef shanks had been marked down do to their due date. I’ve had them in the freezer for a while and looked up a recipe earlier today to cook them. That’s when I found your recipe.
I have to admit I’m not a fancy cook, the easier the better and ingredients like thyme and dry wine don’t usually make it in to my dishes as they seems too fancy and I’m not sure we’d like the taste.
I made your dish exactly as written...even used some of my Pinot Grigio as the wine. AMAZING! Not only and I crazy about the pressure cooker and the short time it took for such an amazing dish but the FLAVOR!
So glad I gave this a try. Your recipe has been printed and added to my address book. Thanks so much!!!