Osso Bucco Stew (with Nightshade Free Variation)
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Osso Bucco Stew – a healing, comforting family meal!
Do you ever wonder how we, as individuals, can contribute to making our world a healthier place to live? One of the simplest, most basic ways is to get into the kitchen and cook nutrient dense food for our families, using local, seasonal, ethically sourced whole food ingredients. In our podcast with Joel Salatin, he gives a beautiful explanation of why this is so important. And Dr Natasha Campbell McBride also shares her inspiring thoughts on this subject in our interview with her.
When we have integrity in the food we cook and eat, this not only results in better health for our families, but also for our nation, as we begin to support farmers who are doing the right thing by the land and the animals they are raising. Yes, cooking from scratch with real food ingredients takes time and you may have to simplify your life so you have time to cook, but if we don’t return to cooking at home, our food system and our health will continue to go downhill. Having healthy families, healthy farming practices, and a healthy nation begins in your kitchen.
Of course, not all ‘from scratch’ cooking takes a lot of time in the kitchen – recipes like this one are a mainstay in our family, because once you’ve chopped up the veggies you don’t have much more to do except wait for it to cook! Slow cooking is such a great time-saver for busy families and the result is rich and delicious, the ultimate comfort food, full of nourishing goodness. Not to mention, it’s an economical way to cook, as you can use the cheaper cuts of meat that are often overlooked. Then there’s the benefits of slow cooking meat on the bone, and the resulting flavour which will have your family begging for more! You can’t lose, right?
(Above photos by Tash Marie)
For those of you working on improving gut health, we’ve included a nightshade-free variation, as it’s best to omit nightshades during the early stages of healing, as recommended on the GAPS and AIP protocols. Scroll down to check out the nightshade free recipe – it’s just as delicious!
These recipes were developed for our Quirky Cooking for Gut Health program with the help of our Quirky recipe developer, Sarah Moran, and are suitable for the GAPS diet once ingredients are tolerated. The regular version is Full GAPS, and the nightshade free version from stage 1 of Intro if cracked pepper is omitted and bay leaves are removed before eating. Omit Gremolata until Full GAPS. (Peppercorns can be added for flavour but not consumed.)
An Osso Bucco drawing, by Jo … just for fun! 🙂
- 1.2 kg (4 large pieces) of Osso Bucco*
- 2 litres filtered water
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 800g tomato passata*
- 4 large carrots, cut into thick slices
- 2 medium eggplants, cut into 2cm cubes; or 2 zucchini, cubed
- 200g green beans, trimmed and halved
- 2 generous tbsp fat (ghee, tallow, coconut oil)
- 1-2 tsp dried mixed herbs
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
- Freshly cracked pepper
- 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, stalks trimmed, washed and dried
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- zest of 2 organic lemons, washed and dried
- Place meat into a 6 litre, heavy based pot, cover with water, and add onions and garlic. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook covered over med-low heat for 2-3 hours, or until meat is soft.
- Add tomatoes, carrot, eggplant, beans, fat, herbs, honey, vinegar, salt and pepper. Continue to simmer on medium heat with lid partially off for a further 30 minutes, or until vegetables are soft, meat is falling off the bone, and liquid is beginning to reduce.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with gremolata.
- To make in a Thermomix: Peel the lemon zest from the lemons with a sharp potato peeler; place all ingredients into bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 7. Scrape down and chop again if needed to make a really fine gremolata.
- To make by hand: Finely chop parsley; grate the garlic and zest the lemons with a microplane; chop them all together with sharp knife so they're very fine and well mixed.
- Osso Bucco literally means 'bone with a hole' and is a cross-section of a beef shank, cut straight across so that it includes chunky meat around a slice of bone. The hole in the bone is packed with bone marrow, which adds a delicious richness to the finished dish.
- You can use fresh tomatoes, finely chopped, instead of the passata sauce, but you may need to cook down a little longer to reduce the liquid and intensify the flavours.
- To cook in a slow cooker, halve the amount of water, and place all ingredients into slow cooker at the same time. Cook 4 hours on high, or 8 hours on low, or until meat and veggies are soft and sauce is slightly reduced.
- Also delicious served over Cauliflower and Leek Mash! (See recipe on the blog.)
- Store in fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 4 months.
- 1.2 kg (4 large pieces) of Osso Bucco*
- 1 tsp salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1L filtered water
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 2 large onions, peeled, sliced
- 1 small leek (approx 150g), white part only, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 6 medium carrots, cut into 3cm thick slices
- 500g pumpkin, cut into 3cm cubes
- 300g beetroot, peeled, cut into 2cm cubes
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into 3cm pieces
- 200g green beans, trimmed, halved
- 2 generous Tbsp fat (ghee, tallow, or coconut oil)
- Additional salt and pepper to taste
- Place meat into a 6 litre, heavy based pot, cover with water, and add bay leaves, onions, leek and garlic. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook covered over med-low heat for 2-3 hours, or until meat is soft.
- Add carrot, pumpkin and beetroot and gently press down into the cooking liquid. Return to the boil and continue to simmer gently with lid on a further 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove all of the beetroot along with ½ cup carrot/pumpkin and 1 cup cooking liquid. Blend until smooth (1 min/speed 8 for Thermomix). Return pureed beetroot to the pot and gently stir through.
- Add zucchini, green beans and fat and simmer on low 20-30 mins or until vegetables are soft, meat is falling off the bone, and liquid is beginning to reduce.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with gremolata.
- To make in a Thermomix: Peel the lemon zest from the lemons with a sharp potato peeler; place all ingredients into bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 7. Scrape down and chop again if needed to make a really fine gremolata.
- To make by hand: Finely chop parsley; grate the garlic and zest the lemons with a microplane; chop them all together with sharp knife so they're very fine and well mixed.
- Osso Bucco literally means 'bone with a hole' and is a cross-section of a beef shank, cut straight across so that it includes chunky meat around a slice of bone. The hole in the bone is packed with bone marrow, which adds a delicious richness to the finished dish.
- To cook in a slow cooker, halve the amount of water, and place all ingredients into slow cooker at the same time. Cook 4 hours on high, or 8 hours on low, or until meat and veggies are soft and sauce is slightly reduced.
- Also delicious served over Cauliflower and Leek Mash! (See recipe on the blog.)
- Store in fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 4 months.
Nightshade Free Osso Bucco
26 Comments
Jo this looks amazing!! Ehat do you think i could i sub in the nightshade free version for carrots? Unable to eat them either….thankyou xx
You could maybe just add more pumpkin! 🙂
Oh, orange sweet potato! Try that!
Can one make a gremolata without using parsley? I really don’t like parsley no matter what I try. Any suggestions of what herb to use instead. Thank you.
Hi Elly! Traditionally gremolata is made with parsley but you could definitely change to a herb you like – basil, oregano and/or rosemary would be lovely. xx
Great recipe
Thanks Jo
Yay Marthea! 🙂 You’re very welcome!! xx
[…] You can find the recipe here on the Quirky Cooking website. […]
This was amazing! I Cooked it in the slow cooker and it was so easy to prepare and cook. I haven’t had a meal so delicious for ages. Thank you for posting 😀
Oh yay Leanne!! 🙂 Thanks for your feedback. xx
Hi Jo, my family and I loved the Osso Bucco without nightshades. Thank you!!
I can’t seem to see that version any more. Would you mind please posting the link. It’s delicious!!
Many thanks, Angela
Oh yay Ange, glad you loved the recipe! 🙂 We had a technical glitch with the recipe but it is back on the site again. Enjoy! xx
Hi Sam! Sorry, the website has been playing up and the recipe has gone missing. Please email us at [email protected] and we will email the recipe to you. 🙂 xx
Hi Korina! The recipe has gone missing (yay for technology!;) ) so please email us at [email protected] and we will email the recipe to you. 🙂 xx
Hi Fiona, you aren’t going mad! 🙂 Please email us at [email protected] and we will send the recipe to you – we have a technical glitch on the website. xx
Hi SG – please email [email protected] and we will email the recipe to you. xx
Hi Jo
Just wondering if cooking in slow cooker, do I just put Beetroot in last & still scoop it out with some carrot,pumpkin & liquid & blend in thermomix & mix back through?
Thanks so much Lisa😃
Hi Lisa! 🙂 Yes, that’s exactly what you do. Just make sure the veggies are nice and soft before scooping out and blending. Hope you enjoy this recipe! xx
Thank you for this recipe Jo. Can’t wait to make it tomorrow night! We just had your delicious cauliflower mash last night…any other accompaniments you think would be nice?
Hi Anjali! 🙂 Thanks for your message. You have probably made the Osso Bucco by now…how did it go? We just tend to serve it like a stew but you could also serve it alongside a salad or some steamed veg. xx
Hi Jo,
I’m wanting to make the nightshade free version but in a slow cooker. Can you please give me instructions on how long to cook meat before adding veg and then how long to cook veg?
I’m not great at making things up as I go 😬
Thanks,
Elyse
Hi Elyse! 🙂 You could probably get away with adding the veg at the same time as the meat (on top of the meat, with the beetroot at the very top) and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 on high. You will also need to reduce the liquid (just enough to cover the meat). Let us know how you go! 🙂
Wow, made this tonight with cauliflower and leek mash. I’m in heaven. So tasty and easy. Just one question I have a lot of the sauce left over. Any ideas what I can use it for. Too good too waste. Thanks Jo.
Yay…glad you enjoyed it! The sauce is really lovely reheated in a fry pan and then poach some eggs in it. Top with cheese and or/sour cream…yum!! 🙂
Hi Jo,
I am not a fan of osso bucco, can I use lamb shanks instead?
Yes! Lamb shanks would work really well as well. 🙂