Osso Buco Braised Beef Shanks (slow cooker)

Hungry for more? This recipes was featured in a podcast episode!

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With minimal prep, you'll have beef shank osso buco in a rich tomatoey wine sauce simmering away in your slow cooker, leaving you nothing more to do but anticipate tonight's dinner. And trust us, it will not disappoint. See the Zhuzh It Up! section for alternate oven directions.

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook time: 6 -8 hr

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 large brown onion, diced

• 2 carrots, peeled and diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 kg beef shanks (about 4 large pieces)

• 1/4 cup flour

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 1 cup tomato passata

• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock

• tied bundle of fresh herb sprigs, like thyme and rosemary (optional) - or approx. 1 tbsp of each fresh (roughly chopped) or dried herbs

Directions

1. Heat oil in a cast iron frypan over medium heat. Sauté vegetables until soft, then transfer to the slow cooker.

2. Season shanks liberally with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour. In the same pan, cook beef for 2-3 mins on each side until well browned. Transfer to slow cooker and place in a single layer on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle garlic over the meat.

3. Add wine to frypan and bring to simmer. Stir in tomato passata and stock, and bring to a boil. Pour over meat in slow cooker.

4. Add the herbs, cover with lid and cook for 6 hrs on high or 8 hrs on low until meat is fork tender and bones lift right out. Separate out the large pieces of fat and shred the beef.

5. Serve with mashed potato or rice, and steamed vegetables.

Zhuzh it up!

• If you don't have a slow cooker, follow the same method using a dutch oven, or other oven-safe dish, with a lid. Bake in the oven at 300F for approx. 4 hrs or until the meat falls off the bone.

This amazing recipe was inspired by one written by Greer Worsely. Find it on Australia's Best Recipes.