Red Wine Osso Buco with Soft Polenta

Red Wine Osso Buco is one of those dishes that feels slow cooked and luxurious without asking for much from you. The veal shanks melt into a red wine braised osso buco sauce that builds depth from real technique, not shortcuts, and the tomato base turns glossy and full bodied as it simmers.

Serve it over soft polenta or a bowl of buttery mashed potatoes and the sauce will settle into every corner. Each bite gives you tender meat, balanced acidity, and slow cooked richness that tastes like it came from a restaurant kitchen. Perfect for a cozy dinner with minimal effort, and even better the next day.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

This Red Wine Osso Buco works because it does not rush any of the flavor building steps. The vegetables soften slowly until sweet, the wine reduces until it turns silky, and the shanks are browned long enough to create a real foundation for the sauce.

It also succeeds because the method stays practical for home cooks. There are no complicated tricks, just the right sequence that lets the ingredients do the work. As the osso buco simmers, the sauce thickens naturally, the meat becomes fall apart tender, and the flavors settle into something you would proudly serve for a weekend dinner.

What Goes Into Red Wine Osso Buco

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This Red Wine Osso Buco uses simple ingredients that build deep flavor when layered the right way.

• Osso Buco Beef Steaks: These thick cross cut shanks bring melt in your mouth texture as the marrow slowly enriches the sauce while it simmers.
• Dry Red Wine: A small pour reduces down and adds body, helping balance the sweetness of the tomatoes and deepen the flavor of the braise.
• Tomato Paste: Just a spoonful concentrates the tomato base so the sauce becomes glossy and full flavored without feeling heavy.
• Brown Onion: When softened properly, it becomes the backbone of the sauce and gives the braise its natural sweetness and warmth.

Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.

How To Make Red Wine Osso Buco

1. Cook Vegetables: Warm the oil in a large frying pan, then add the onion, carrots, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables soften and the onion turns transparent.

2. Brown the Osso Buco: Add the osso buco steaks to the pan and brown them well on both sides to build a deep base of flavor for the sauce.

3. Add the Tomato Base: Stir in the tomato paste, wine, and condensed tomato soup, pasta sauce, or crushed tomatoes. Mix until everything is well combined.

4. Build the Braising Liquid: Sprinkle in the stock powder, pour in the water, and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer so the flavors begin to settle together.

5. Simmer: Cover pan, reduce heat to low, and let the osso buco cook for 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours until the meat becomes fall apart tender.

6. Serve and Garnish: Spoon the Red Wine Osso Buco over warm polenta and finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Red Wine Osso Buco is rich, saucy, and perfect with sides that can hold their own. A warm tray of Garlic Cheese Bread gives you all the buttery crunch you need to swipe up every bit of the braising sauce. If you want something more indulgent but still savory, Cheesy Pizza Pull Apart Bread adds a gooey, crowd pleasing twist that pairs beautifully with the deep flavors of the dish.

For a heartier addition, pair your osso buco with Pull-Apart Stuffed Bread with Chipotle Carne Asada. The smoky filling and melted cheese bring an exciting edge that plays beautifully against the slow cooked richness of the braise. Together, they turn your Red Wine Osso Buco into a full, satisfying meal.

Tips For Making Red Wine Osso Buco

• Brown the meat deeply before adding any liquids. It feels like an extra step, but that golden crust is what gives your Red Wine Osso Buco its restaurant level flavor.
• Let the wine simmer for a minute or two before adding the tomatoes. I always find that reducing it slightly makes the sauce smoother and more balanced.
• Keep the heat low once everything is simmering. Slow cooking is what makes the osso buco turn tender enough to fall apart with a fork.
• Taste the sauce near the end instead of salting early. The flavors concentrate as it cooks, so I prefer adjusting the seasoning right before serving.

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