Osso Bucco ~ from The 4-Hour Chef & Dan's Kitchen ~ Guest Cook Post

Osso Bucco ~ Made by my friend, Dan.  Photos taken in his kitchen, following the recipe in the new cookbook ~ The 4-Hour Chef ~ by Timothy Ferriss.  It looks absolutely AMAZING!  I've got to try this in my kitchen!

My friend, Dan, just got the new cookbook by Timothy Ferriss ~ The 4-Hour Chef.  On Wednesday night he made the recipe for ~ Osso Bucco ~ and posted the pictures on Facebook.  I was so impressed with the photos of how the dish turned out, that I just had to share his pictures and his commentary on my blog.  I'll be getting a copy of this cookbook for myself and will be trying out some of the recipes.  If they're all as good as this one looks, I think we're all going to be in for a treat!


Osso Bucco ~ photos and commentary by my friend, Dan...


I am a big fan of Tim Ferriss' books. The 4-Hour Chef came out yesterday. I am about 120 pages in so far. ~ The recipe ~

Beginnings of Osso "Buko". Typically, Osso Bucco is made with veal shanks, but using lamb shanks turned out just as delicious.

After placing carrots and lamb shanks in the pot, you take the canned whole tomatoes and pour on top.  ((San Marzano Tomatoes ~ definitely a difference from our Red Gold tomatoes))  Then you pour in white wine and cover with spices.
 
It took ten minutes to prep and it took another 2 hours to cook, but was definitely worth it. Unfortunately it only took a few minutes to devour . . . I was hungry. 

** a little more detailed cooking instructions from Dan, slightly adapted from The 4-Hour Chef Cookbook. ~~  Recipe is roughly:

Scrub bunch of carrots and cut off ends.  Place in bottom of dutch oven.  Take your lamb shanks and place on top of those.  Open can of San Marzano tomatoes and pour puree on top as well as squeeze each tomato with your thumb first then squeeze them with full hand and drop in.  Then drizzle about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the top.  Then take about 3 big 3 finger pinches of salt and sprinkle on top. Also, 10 good grinds on a peppermill.  Then pour the dry white wine (what ever dry white you like) so that it is up to 1/2 or 3/4 of the lamb shanks. Cook in preheated oven, covered, at 350F for 2 hours. Can go for up to a half hour longer in oven if necessary for timing.


I love it when friends of mine share their photos of what they're making in their kitchens.  It inspires me check out what cookbooks are inspiring them to get creative in the kitchen.  Can't wait to crack open this cookbook and take a peek!  Dan ~ Thanks so much for sharing your photos and how you made the meal!

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UPDATED 11/26/2012 ~ Kris, from over at the blog ~ The Iceland Trail ~ suggested you sear the meat before cooking, so you will get a better overall flavor to the dish.  Read his comments for more recipe ideas. Thanks for sharing, Kris!


UPDATED 12/6/12 ~ Kris, from the blog~ The Iceland Trail ~ let me know he now has a recipe blog post for his version of making Osso Bucco.  He has step-by-step photos, showing how he  makes his.  Cool!





Since I already had lamb arm chops ready to go, I followed his recipe and then tweaked it a bit.  I added bell pepper, more onion, fresh garlic, a big can of crushed tomatoes and dry vermouth. (had to make due with what I had on hand) and a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary. (the last from my garden)

 
I cooked it in my new Dutch Oven, at 325F degrees, for a little over 3 hours. I served it with steamed new potatoes and mushrooms.  It turned out AMAZING!  Roy and I both went back for seconds, we didn't lick the plates clean, but we did do the next best thing ~ we got out the bread and butter. : )  Roy was VERY happy with the meal, as was I.  This cut of lamb can be a tad greasy, so we had to fish around a bit to get everything on the plate. I have a container of leftovers, so in the morning I'll just skim off the remaining fat and we'll be good to go for round two. (or would that round three? heehee)


I think using all the additional veggies/herbs gave the dish a flavor of ~ a cross between Osso Bucco and Cacciatore.  I'll be making this meal (or a variation of it) quite a few times over the course of the winter.  Thanks to both of you guys, this is now one of my favorite new recipes!



12 comments:

  1. Looks good. I love Osso Bucco, but I wonder why Tim doesn't use fresh tomatoes in this recipe. I read recently about how canned tomatoes are not necessarily good for you.

    Another thing that I usually do with my Osso Bucco is to sear the meat a little in the pot. Brown it a little on the outside, then take it out and put some white wine in to loosen up the burned stuff in the pot. Then throw the veggies in and meat on top.

    It's always carrots and tomatoes, but sometimes I also use onion, leek or paprika as well.

    Two hours in the oven is fine. The other option is to use lower heat and leave it there for four hours+. The main thing is to make the meat kinda fall apart.

    I haven't tried it with lamb shanks. Maybe I will. The best thing about the OB in my opinion is the bone marrow. The larger the bones, the more of it.

    Anyway, looking forward to trying TF's recipe.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I also like searing the meat a little when I am cooking it, I think the 'fond' left in the bottom of the pan, once deglazed (especially with wine), adds so much extra depth of flavor to the dish you're making. When I make this, I think I'll have to add some onion & paprika, too. Great tip!

      Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting ~ Cheers!

      Delete
  2. Hi again. Yes, the "fond" is the word I was looking for. The benefit of being on a different timezone, Iceland, I just tried the recipe this evening. Just followed the recipe as described in your post. Used lamb shanks. It's definitely better to sear the meat before, makes a big difference. I think I used too much white wine. Next time I'll sear the meet. I think I'll also slice about half of the carrots very small and soften them with finely chopped onion and leek. Makes a great "sauce" that mix with the tomatoes.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kris! You are my hero! Thanks so much for coming back & reporting on how the recipe turned out. I've never made it, so I'll incorporate your recipe suggestions with Dan's recipe info when I make it. Your idea for the carrots & onions is like a simple mirepoix, just missing the celery. I'm a sucker for celery, (I like the bit of natural saltiness it gives) so I'll probably add that, too. Let me just say, YOU ROCK! :) If you have any recipes you'd like to share, I'm all ears. I'm always up for trying new recipes. Cheers!

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    2. Kris ~ Just checked out your blog & watched the video on shark/cheese. Oh, my!

      I updated the Osso Bucco post to include your comments on how to improve the dish. Wanted to let you know that I'm so flattered that you mentioned my post/blog on your blog/post. : ) I gave you/your blog's link a thank you/shout-out on my Facebook blog page. Thanks again for all the tips!

      Delete
  3. I tried this recipe again and posted some pictures on my blog.
    http://ktweblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/osso-bucco-recipe.html

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    Replies
    1. I am so glad that you shared this with me! Seriously, I was just going in check on the blog this morning & then go into the kitchen to make this... and here was your comment. Talk about perfect timing! I'm using lamb arm chops (got a good deal at the market yesterday)& wanted to cook them a la Osso Bucco'ish. I'll make them your way & let you know about the slower/lower cooking time.

      Did you cook it in a Braiser? (if so, what Qt. size is it?) I've just got an enameled c/i Dutch Oven, but was thinking of getting a Braiser, too. Is it worth the extra cabinet space? I sure like the looks of a Braiser, but since I'm new to the whole 'braising thing', I don't know if it really works out better than a Dutch Oven. Your thoughts?

      Oh, and is it OK to use/add your Osso Bucco picture to my O/B post, as an 'Update'? I'll add your blog name & website to the photo, along with the link to your recipe post. I'm getting a lot of traffic on this post & would like to share how you've 'upped' the flavor ante.

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    2. Wow. Just had a look at the update. Looks awesome. This I have to try. There are some other lamb recipes I have, I'll let you know in case I post some later.
      - Kris

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    3. Kris, So glad you liked it. I'm a sucker for lamb. I used to eat it all the time, but not so much lately. I think this recipe has changed all that. I've fallen in love with it again. That & chicken cacciatore, got a craving ~ I'll be making that real soon, too.

      One of my favorite ways to make lamb, from way back, was to take fresh, finely minced rosemary & garlic, mix with grainy Dijon mustard & fresh cracked pepper & coat a lamb shank or leg of lamb with it & then roast it. Simple, but oh so good. I really think lamb & rosemary are the perfect match. (hence the rosemary in today's meal :)

      That, & I'd take a cheap cut of lamb chop/blade, simmered until soft, cut-up & then add it to curry. LOVE lamb & curry. Have you ever tried S&B Golden Curry Sauce Mix? I'm originally from Los Angeles & some of the hole-in-the-wall restaurants in J-Town & Koreatown would use that mix. I got hooked. If you like a rich, tasty, gravy-style curry, it is seriously worth searching out & trying. SUPER quick & tastes like it took forever to create.

      Thanks again for all the insight into OB. As a chef, you ROCK!
      Cheers!
      Vicki

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  4. Vicki,

    Braiser or dutch oven works just fine, I think. Mine is small, about 3 1/2 qts, pretty inexpensive dutch oven by Lodge that I picked up at WalMart or something . For larger dinner parties it would be better to have a larger braiser, but I've been just using a large pot. Works just as good.

    Feel free to use my pictures in your blog.

    Best,
    Kris

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  5. It is very cool that you guys have made this up. Such a great meal to share different ways to cook it. Beautiful pictures and I'm sure great tasting! ---Dan

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    Replies
    1. Hey Dan!

      You are the man! The man who started it all with the 4-Hour Chef pictures on FB. You realize, I'm asking Santa for that cookbook. heehee

      Delete

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