Venison Osso Buco

by Duke Welter

Summer 2024 Issue

Prep time: 25 Minutes

Cook time: 2-4 Hours

Serves: 4

Photo by Sunny Frantz

Traditional Italian osso buco is generally made with veal shanks, but this osso buco recipe, my interpretation of a dish from chef Hank Shaw, utilizes crosscut venison shanks and seasonal summer produce. The addition of olive oil, butter or another fat into the slow-cooking process helps keep this lean protein moist and flavorful.

Ingredients

½ cup olive oil, melted butter or other fat

Salt

4 crosscut venison shanks, 1 1/2-inches thick, tied with cook's string, or 2 full venison shanks

Flour for dusting

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

½ ounce dried mushrooms (a handful), chopped

1 cup white wine

1 cup stock (beef, chicken or venison)

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Peel of one lemon, cut into large strips without white pith

2 bay leaves

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, salt the venison shanks well and dust them with flour.

Brown the venison shanks in the hot oil, turning them occasionally so they’re browned all over. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.

Add the onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms to the Dutch oven, and sauté until they’re slightly browned around the edges, about 6-8 minutes. Salt to taste as they cook. Pour in white wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.

Bring the wine mixture to a boil, then add the stock, tomatoes, thyme, lemon peel, and bay leaves. Lower the heat to a simmer.

Return the venison to the pot and turn it to coat with the sauce. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook until tender, between 2 and 4 hours (less for a younger deer, more for an older one). Serve over risotto, polenta or spaetzle, garnished with parsley.

How was it?