• Take the osso buco out of the freezer a day ahead and let it thaw in the refrigerator. Then take it out of the refrigerator just under an hour before you start and let it come to room temperature.
  2 shanks
• Finely slice an onion. Meanwhile, heat the Dutch oven. Add oil and butter. Sauté the onion.
  1 red onion, butter and mild olive oil
• Crush the garlic cloves with a garlic press and add them to the onion once it starts to turn slightly translucent. Sauté everything briefly.
  4 cloves garlic
• Depending on the space in the Dutch oven, push the onions to the side or briefly remove them. Make sure to leave a good amount of the onion-flavored fat in the pot. Add a little more butter if needed.
• Season the shanks to taste with paprika and black pepper. Sear the shanks well on both sides. This is where my method differs from the authentic Milanese preparation. For that, you would lightly coat both sides of the shanks in flour before searing them.
• Return the onions to the Dutch oven. Briefly sauté the tomato paste. Deglaze with the wine. Reduce the heat.
  1 small can tomato paste, 200 ml white wine
• Cut the carrot and celery into large pieces. Arrange them around the meat. Pour in enough broth to just cover the meat.
  150 g carrot, 2 stalks celery, 200 ml beef broth
• Add the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Put the lid on the Dutch oven. Keep the heat low. Do not let the sauce boil. An occasional small bubble is fine.
  1 sprig thyme (fresh), 1 sprig rosemary (fresh), 3 bay leaves
• For veal shank, allow about 2 to 3 hours, although you can of course always cook it longer. For beef shank, simmer for at least 6 hours. Overnight is fine too.

Gremolata

• Scrub the lemon and grate its zest. Peel the garlic and grate it or cut it into very thin slices. Finely chop the parsley. Mix everything together.
  1 lemon zest, 1 clove garlic, 1 generous handful parsley (fresh)
• Serve in a small bowl at the table.