How to make Lamb Osso Bucco
Lamb Osso Bucco, tender and insanely delicious, served in a rich wine-based tomato and vegetable sauce. The lamb shanks are slowed cooked in a braiser pan for a couple of hours with a combination of vegetables, spices, wine, and fresh herbs.
Let’s be Italian today! There are many recipes for meat cooked in Osso Bucco style. Lamb Osso Bucco is lamb cooked with vegetables, wine, and fresh tomatoes.
What is Osso buco?
Osso buco (pronounced [o?s?o?bu?ko]) is a Milanese specialty of cross-cut veal shanks braised with vegetables, white wine, and broth. It is often garnished with gremolata and traditionally served with Risotto Alla Milanese.
Wikipedia defines Osso Bucco more in detail. There are two types of Osso Bucco: a modern version with tomatoes and the original version that does not. The older version, Osso Bucco in Bianco, is flavored with cinnamon, bay leaf, and gremolata. The modern and more popular recipe includes tomatoes, carrots, celery, and onions. Gremolata is optional.

How to make Lamb Osso Bucco my way
Osso Bucco is primarily made with veal, but this recipe is with lamb. Lamb is indeed gamier than veal, but that shouldn’t stop us from cooking a meat Osso Bucco style.
- After cleaning the meat, it is then seasoned, dredged in flour.
- Heat oil in a heavy pot or braising pot. Add shanks and sear all sides until brown.
- Remove from pot. Add more oil into the pot if needed. Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots and cook for about 3 – 4 minutes while stirring.
- Next, add parsley, rosemary leaves, thyme and cumin, stir and cook for 1 – 2 minutes.
- Add balsamic vinegar and tomatoes and stir. Let cook another 2 -3 minutes.
- Add shanks, wine, stir, cover, and lower heat—Cook for about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Check liquid/sauce level and add 1/2 cup of hot water gradually when needed while the meat is cooking on low heat.
- You may not need the water if the shanks are slow cooking in the wine and the tomatoes’ juice.
- Cook the shanks until the meat is fork-tender and almost falling off the bone.
- Make sure the sauce is thick and not watery. This is only obtained if you add the water in small quantities when necessary.
- Depending on the type of lamb (Australian, Grass-fed lamb, etc.), it may take 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hr 30 minutes for the meat to be fully cooked.
- Serve with root vegetables, grains, or pasta.

This is an excellent way to cook meat with the bone in. It is simple and very delicious. The meat is cooked with fresh and dried spices and good balsamic vinegar, juicy tomatoes, and good red wine. This recipe requires an excellent braising pot to cook the meat and create an excellent sauce.
I hope you will try and like my version of Lamb Osso Bucco. Enjoy!
Originally published April 13, 2014. Updated to add more details.
Lamb Osso Bucco
Ingredients
- 4 – 6 pre-cut lamb osso bucco cleaned
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- All purpose flour for the lamb shanks
- 4 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large onion chopped small
- 2 stalks celery chopped small
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped small
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground cumin
- 1 cup tomatoes diced
- 1 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1-2 cup hot water
Instructions
- Clean meat either with lime or vinegar. Rinse with cold water, pat dry and set aside. Season meat with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Remove any excess flour and place in a large plate. Do not crowd plate.
- Heat oil in heavy pot or braising pot. Add shanks and sear all sides until brown. Remove from pot. Add more oil into pot if needed. Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots and cook about 3 – 4 minutes while stirring. Add parsley, rosemary leaves, thyme and cumin, stir and cook for 1 – 2 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and tomatoes and stir. Let cook another 2 -3 minutes. Add shanks, and wine, stir, cover and lower heat. Cook for about 20 to 25 minutes Check liquid/sauce level and add 1/2 cup of hot water gradually when needed while meat is cooking on low heat. You may not need the water if the shanks are slow cooking in the wine and the juice of the tomatoes. Cook the shanks until the meat is fork tender and almost falling of the bone. Make sure sauce is thick and not watery. This is only obtain if you use the water in small quantity when necessary. Depending on the type of lamb, it may take 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hr 30 minutes for the meat to be fully cooked. Serve with root vegetables, grains or pasta.
- Lamb Osso Bucco – add water gradually until completely cook.
Notes
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
Corn Allergy:
Always choose ingredients without corn or corn derivatives.
Source