Ossobuco with pancetta and peas is a hearty, robust, and delicious dish suitable for the cold season, made with beef.
The other day I was talking with my friend Rita and she told me she was preparing ossobuco for dinner and… a light went off in my head and today here it is, steaming and ready for dinner!!
The òss bus as they say in Milan is a flavorful dish that requires long braising and pairs wonderfully with saffron risotto, gremolada, potatoes, peas, polenta…
The name “oss buss” was awarded the Municipal Designation (De.Co) by the Municipality of Milan in December 2007.
Ossobuco must be braised; otherwise it loses all its poetry and goodness — it is during this cooking that it becomes tender, gains that unmatched flavor, and is generally cooked plain (don’t tell anyone, but I added a few tablespoons of tomato paste).
What cut is ossobuco? Ossobuco can be veal or beef; the latter is much more flavorful than veal.
How should ossobuco be cooked? As mentioned before, its best form is braising and it is very important, before flouring it, to SCORE the outer membrane without damaging the slice — please be careful — to prevent the connective tissue from curling during cooking!
The recipe for ossobuco with pancetta and peas is a tasty and complete main course.
I also suggest these ossobuco recipes on the blog:
OSSOBUCO WITH GOLDEN RISOTTO
OSSOBUCO ALLA MILANESE WITH GREMOLADA
OSSOBUCO WITH PANCETTA AND PEAS
The kitchen of ASI
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 2 Hours
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Winter
Ingredients
- 4 beef ossobuco (about 11 oz each)
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 3 oz smoked pancetta (diced)
- 1 shallot (chopped)
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 3.4 fl oz dry white wine
- 3 1/2 tbsp butter
- as needed flour (for coating the meat)
- as needed vegetable broth (for cooking the meat)
- to taste salt (be careful because of the pancetta)
- to taste black pepper
Preparation
Score the membrane that surrounds the ossobuco so they don’t curl up during cooking. If you really want to keep them perfectly round, tie them with kitchen twine and then flour them.
In a large pan put the butter and the chopped shallot.
Let it brown for a few minutes, then add the diced pancetta.
After 2-3 minutes, add the floured ossobuco, letting them brown on both sides and taking care not to pierce the meat!
Pour in the wine and let it evaporate completely over high heat.
Add the tomato paste and season with salt and pepper.
Continue cooking by adding hot vegetable broth and let the ossobuco become tender — this will take about 2 hours.
Blanch the frozen peas in boiling salted water and then add them to the ossobuco, letting cook for another 10 minutes or so.
Serve the ossobuco with pancetta and peas steaming hot — enjoy your meal!
Annalisa
