Yes, I had to add the cheesy joke. But it’s true. Osso bucco is awesome. Slowly braised until the meat is falling off the bone, it is one of my most favorite Italian dishes. Literally meaning “hole bone”, osso bucco’s prize is the tiny crevice of marrow in the middle. I know. I cringed too when I first heard it.

My first osso bucco experience was at a quaint little Italian restaurant in Orange County where I used to bartend. Both the chef and the owner hailed from a town south of Italy called Bari, though the menu represented a variety of regions. They prepared the most exquisite and authentic cuisine at Vessia Ristorante and I attribute all my knowledge about Italian food and wine to the two years I spent slinging cocktails here.

There was a time when I felt like I practically lived at Vessia Ristorante. Working lunch and dinner shifts, I consumed most of my meals here which gave me the opportunity to taste EVERYTHING. Whenever I wanted to indulge, I would always spring for the osso bucco. At first I was intimidated by the thought of the bone marrow so I would simply eat the surrounding meat, wait for the chef or owner to insult me and present the gooey gem as my peace offering. It still makes me smile when I think about how flabbergasted they were at this silly American girl who would waste such a godly treat. It’s as if I should have been shunned from the Italian society and forced to don a scarlett letter, my badge of shame.

I’m all grown up now so I thoroughly enjoy this squishy little surprise in the middle of the bone. And I’m proud to have introduced this delicacy to him during that memorable trip to Santa Barbara. Yes, it was the same restaurant that inspired our panna cotta craze.  It was a legendary meal.

To prepare osso bucco means having the patience to endure the long braising process. Trust me, it’s worth the wait! In theory, it’s best to braise the shanks  in a dutch oven on the  stovetop or  in a regular oven. We have neither a dutch oven nor a grown-up oven. I simply used a glass baking dish, covered it with aluminum foil and braised it in our super high-tech 19th century toaster oven. It worked out swimmingly!  Lastly, the traditional osso bucco is garnished with gremolata, which is a mixture of parsley, garlic and lemon zest.  This puts a refreshing finish to a very meaty dish!