How-To Guides

How to Cook Lamb Ossobuco

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Two raw lamb ossobuco cuts on a metal tray, showing bone and marbling

What is Lamb Ossobuco?

How to Cook Lamb Ossobuco: Lamb ossobuco offers a different take on the cut used in a famous rich Italian stew which goes by the name Ossobuco. Translating to “hole of the bone” because of the marrow-filled leg bones used to swamp the dish with luxurious depth and texture. The traditional cut is a cross cut veal shank, but here we offer a similar cut from Swaledale’s free-roaming, grass-fed lamb legs.

Ossobuco Lamb Cooking Time

Whilst a traditional ossobucco is slowly braised, in the case of lamb, it can also be cooked quickly (similar to a lamb leg steak) in a non-stick pan or on the barbeque over high heat. The difference being that the cut of veal used for the traditional ossobuco is from the shin and therefore is not suitable for cooking pink. Whereas these lamb ossobuco are cut from the upper part of the leg, where the meat is more tender.

A long, slow braise will need a minimum of 3 hours for the meat to fall apart. The modern and more popular ossobuco recipe sees the lamb swimming in a flavour-packed tomato sauce with herbs, vegetables, and a generous glug of full-bodied red wine.

The quick-fire approach will take around 4-5 minutes each side, until medium (our recommended doneness).

We’ve provided step-by-step instructions below for both cooking methods, so you can impress your guests with a simple and very delicious special occasion meal.

Traditional Lamb Ossobuco Recipe

  1. Take your lamb ossobuco out of the fridge. Remove from the vacuum packaging and pat dry any moisture. Allow it to come up to room temperature.
  2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a flameproof casserole dish over high heat.
  3. Season the lamb liberally with coarse sea salt and black pepper, then lightly dust with flour.
  4. Fry the lamb on all sides in small batches until browned all over. Set the meat aside once it’s turned a dark caramel colour.
  5. Add carrots, onions, celery, and garlic to the same pan until softened for about 15 minutes. Add half a bottle of full-bodied red wine, bring to the boil over a  moderate-high heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
  6. Add fresh tomatoes (if in season); otherwise, use a tin of chopped tomatoes. Citrus zest and chopped rosemary can also be great additions at this stage.
  7. Pour chicken or lamb stock and mix gently to combine. Bring to the boil and then pour over the meat.
  8. Have a taste before putting it in the oven. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
  9. Cover the casserole with a lid and bake in the oven for 3-4 hours. Stir occasionally to make sure it’s not catching on the base.
  10. The lamb is ready when it can be pulled apart with a fork, while the sauce should be rich and silky.
  11. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly. Sprinkle some chopped parsley or gremolata before serving.

How to Quickly Cook Lamb Ossobuco

  1. Take your lamb ossobuco out of the fridge. Remove from the vacuum packaging and pat dry any moisture. Allow it to come up to room temperature.
  2. Heat a griddle or non-stick frying pan until smoking hot.
  3. Just prior to cooking, rub a little oil and season the lamb ossobuco with coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper. A few bashed hard herbs such as rosemary and thyme would also be a welcome addition.
  4. Place your lamb ossobuco in the pan. Cook on each side for around 2-3 minutes until caramelised. Resist the urge to press down on the ossobuco – it will naturally release from the pan when a rich, golden crust has formed.
  5. Test the internal temperature with a meat thermometer if you have one. Aim for 57-59°C for medium.
  6. Remove your ossobuco lamb from the pan and rest in a warm place for a few minutes before serving.

Top Tips for Cooking Lamb Ossobuco

  • Lamb ossobuco is delicious served with mashed potato or rice.
  • You can also check if your lamb ossobuco is cooked to medium doneness by carrying out a quick and reliable finger test. Press the tip of your ring finger and your thumb together. The flesh beneath the thumb should give a little. This is what meat cooked to a medium doneness should feel like.

Lamb Ossobuco Recipes

For a satisfying twist on classic ossobuco, try George Ryle’s Lamb Ossobuco Recipe with Kalamata Olives, Tomatoes, and Wet Polenta. This recipe incorporates anchovies, rosemary, and garlic for a fragrant, rich flavour profile that complements the lamb’s deep, earthy taste. Braised until tender, the lamb sits beautifully with a base of creamy, soft polenta, which absorbs the dish’s juices for a truly comforting finish.

Alternatively, for those looking to bring the flavours of lamb ossobuco outdoors, consider BBQ Lamb Osso Buco Recipe with Sicilian Caponata. This recipe starts with a generous rub of rosemary, garlic, and olive oil before being slow-cooked over the coals, giving the lamb a gentle smokiness. Paired with caponata – a traditional Sicilian dish of aubergine, tomatoes, capers, and olives – the tangy, sweet, and slightly smoky flavours balance the richness of the lamb, making it an ideal option for a summer BBQ.

Order meat online

For 15 years, George worked in some of London’s most loved restaurants, including Padella and Primeur, and spent five years as Head Chef at the Garden Museum Café. He earned praise for his simple, thoughtful cooking, with dishes rooted in the classics and always respectful of the ingredients.

In 2021, George realised a long-held ambition with the release of his first cookbook, A Year in the Kitchen. It celebrates the annual cookery cycle, guiding readers through the British seasons, showcasing native produce and encouraging creativity year-round.

In 2022, George left London and returned to his native Yorkshire. His passion for seasonal cooking and respect for quality British ingredients have remained central to his work. Like his food, George is led by the seasons, open to new opportunities and always following his heart.

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We are firmly of the belief that our pork is as good as it has ever been, the breeding, the rearing, the dry ageing and of course the butchery. All of it functioning in harmony to provide us with some high-grade pork. Loin chops seem to be having their moment in the sun, currently a firm favourite amongst our restaurant community, and rightly so. A classic; the leaner eye meat enveloped by a lovely cover of fat, cut thick and cooked well, they are so, so good. A little less well known, but no less delicious, and a cracking option for sharing, our shoulder chops are a slightly different beast. We split our shoulders in half and age the so-called Boston butt, when ready, the shoulder chops are cut from this section. The eye meat is made up of the collar or neck fillet and has excellent natural marbling. You then get a little of the blade and the muscles that surround it, this is darker, more richly flavoured meat. You still get the cover of fat, which, once rendered, tastes incredible. All in all, a fantastic sharing chop and a slight point of difference from the loin chops. Both supremely delicious!
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@swaledalebutchers
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@swaledalebutchers
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A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
@swaledalebutchers
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A recent visit to see Ed Stavely’s pigs on the Swinton Estate, where a landscape not traditionally associated with pig keeping is slowly being reshaped through careful management and a willingness to do things a little differently. The pigs are largely native breeds, often crossed with Duroc to help them fare better through the long Yorkshire winters and the exposed conditions up on the estate. Hardy, slow-growing animals that seem to suit both the land and the philosophy behind the system. They are part of a wider effort to restore ground that had, in places, drifted too far from balance. Their rooting clears rougher areas, disturbs the soil naturally and creates opportunities for new herbal lays, healthier pasture and eventually species-rich hay meadows to return. There are certainly easier places to rear pigs, but it is difficult not to admire the determination to make this sort of farming work in a landscape like this, where the focus stretches beyond production alone and towards the long-term health of the land itself.
2 weeks ago
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@swaledalebutchers
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@swaledalebutchers
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1 month ago
1839
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We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
We are reaching the end of our wild garlic sausages, as the season begins to slip away and only the deeper, shaded pockets of woodland still offer the tender leaves we rely on. It is from these cooler, quieter areas that we are still able to gather what we need, though even here the plants are beginning to turn, and once the flowers arrive, the flavour shifts and our time with wild garlic comes to a close for another year. As ever, we follow the season rather than stretch it, working with what is left while it is still at its best, which means if you have been enjoying them, or have been meaning to try them, now is the time to cook them or put a few aside for later. Before long, they will be gone, and we will wait for spring to bring them back again.
1 month ago
761
View on Instagram |
7/8
@swaledalebutchers
@swaledalebutchers
•
Follow
A while back we had the pleasure of visiting @petea25 at the @cantonarms Arms, where we spoke about their ever evolving menu, a place that is not afraid to cook things until they are gone and then move on to something new. We saw how they treated the Swaledale pork chop, and it told you everything you needed to know. Cooked with care, handled properly, and full of flavour. It was, simply, delicious.
1 month ago
38110
View on Instagram |
8/8