Osso Bucco in the Crock Pot

It all started with this book:

I had to make something in it. The book was a good beach read (nothing deep, but fun), but the recipes - oh my. Then Osso Bucco kept showing up on tv shows and movies and . . . Well, I had to make it. So, I searched high and low, researched, adapted, played and I came up with this recipe. Must have been good - no left overs! Prep took a bit, but so worth it. I don't stand over a stove and slave, I prep and crockpot it. I just wish I had better pictures or better yet a scratch and sniff button. But, here is my recipe:

Osso Bucco in the Crockpot

¼ cup all-purpose flour (I prefer to use Kentucky Kernel seasoned flour)

salt and pepper to taste

10 (1 inch) thick slices veal shank, sliced for osso bucco  

3 tablespoons butter melted with 3 T. olive oil

2 onions, roughly chopped  (I confess, I just use a bag of frozen chopped onion)

5 large carrots, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped  

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

3 cups beef stock  

1 cup wine (I use white)

2 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes

3 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano  

2 bay leaf

2 Tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

1. Toss the veal shank slices with the flour (if using plain flour mix with salt and pepper first) until evenly coated. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the shank slices in the hot butter until golden brown on all sides at 5 min, probably closer to 10 per side.

2. Combine the chopped veggies in a large slow cooker. Lay the browned meat on top of  the vegetables, then add the stock, wine and diced tomatoes. Season with oregano, bay leaves and the lemon zest.

3. Cook on Low for 8 hours until the meat is falling off of the bone. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed and remove the bay leaves. Here is a really really bad picture of it:

I serve with Risotto Milanese made in my rice cooker using the recipe from

Which, by the way is an excellent cookbook for rice cookers. Before this book I never realized the differences in rice - but that will be another post.