This classic Italian dish is perfect for today’s weather. The name translates to ‘bone with a hole’. Many meats that used to be considered a form of offal have morphed into today’s delicacies as they offer the greatest flavour. This beef in its raw form is also gravy beef, a regular component of meat pies and other slow cooked dishes that allow the meat to tenderise over low heat.
This dish takes 10 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
Tip before you start: make extra because your first batch will not last!
Ingredients
2 x tablespoons olive oil
2 x brown onions, finely sliced
8 x pieces Osso Bucco meat from the meat department
Plain flour for coating the meat (Gluten free flour to make the meal gluten free)
2 x potatoes (any variety) peeled and chopped into large pieces (I used brushed sebagos)
2 x large carrots, peeled and chopped into large pieces
3 x stems of celery, chopped
2 x capsicums, one red one green
Half a bunch of Continental parsley, chopped
1 x 400gm tin of diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons Massel chicken stock powder
A sprinkle of coarse black cracked pepper
Marine Salt to your taste (probably half a teaspoon)
Method
Preheat your oven to 175C.
In a large pot on the stovetop, fry your onion in the olive oil. Whilst frying, toss your meat into the flour and cover each piece completely with a light coating of flour. Once the onion starts to colour up, place four of your eight pieces of meat into the pot and just brown each side. This will take about two minutes per side. Remove them from the heat and brown the other four pieces.
Whilst the meat is browning, peel and chop your vegies and have them ready in a bowl.
When the second meat batch has been browned loosen the onion base so all the crunchy stuff separates from the base of the pot. Place a single layer of four pieces of meat, toss in half the vegies and your tin of tomatoes. Then create a second layer of meat and toss the balance of the vegies on top. Sprinkle your salt and pepper to taste and add about five cups of water (mixed with your Massel chicken stock) until the water level reaches about three quarters the height of the ingredients. Bring it to the boil.
Once boiled, remove from heat and place into the pre-heated oven for 90 minutes.
Then it is ready to eat.
As always, enjoy!
Kind regards,
Brendan Blake
