Elk Osso Buco with Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

Elk osso buco is a meal that sounds fancy (because it is) but is actually pretty simple to make and mostly hands-off. It's truly magical that you can take a tough cut of meat like a shank and turn it into a tender, succulent culinary masterpiece. Paired with brown butter mashed potatoes and the velvety smooth gravy created from the braising liquid, this meal is sure to impress even the toughest wild game critics. If you're tired of trying to trim shank meat to put in the grind pile, this recipe is for you!

Jump to:

• What cut of meat is osso buco?
• How to cut shanks for elk osso buco:
• How to cook elk osso buco:
• How to make brown butter mashed potatoes:
• Putting it all together:
• Elk Osso Buco with Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

What cut of meat is osso buco?

Osso buco is Italian for "bone with a hole." It is cut from the shank of hooved animals. Traditionally, osso buco is made from veal, beef, or lamb but it is an excellent preparation method for wild game as well. The shank is the cut of meat and leg bone below the knee. It is often trimmed and thrown into the grind pile or thrown away altogether. It can be very difficult to trim the meat well enough to avoid sinewy pieces in the ground meat. But, slow cooking turns the tough connective tissue into smooth gelatin that melts away into the meat and creates a deliciously smooth gravy.

How to cut shanks for elk osso buco:

To cut shanks for osso buco, you'll need two pieces of equipment: a boning/filet knife and a bone saw. The number of pieces you cut the shank into will depend on the size of the animal. Each piece should be at least 3-4" thick. For a small deer or antelope, that may end up being 2 pieces. For larger animals like elk, moose, etc., you may cut it into 3 or 4 pieces. Start by removing the shank from the hind quarter. Trim the meat around the knee until you get to the joint. Then cut through the ligaments inside the joint to separate the two leg bones. Next, use a bone saw to cut the knuckle off the top. Knuckles are great to add to stock so don't toss them!

Keep the lower part of the shank bone attached for now. It makes a great place to hold onto while sawing. Using the boning knife, score the meat where you intend to cut it based on the size of osso buco you want. Next, cut all the way through the meat until you get to the bone. Cut in a circle around the entire bone. This exposes the bone and makes for a cleaner cut. Repeat on other sections. Once you've cut through the meat, use the bone saw to saw through the bone. Repeat on other sections and saw the bottom part of the shank to remove it. Again, don't forget to save the bones for stock! Rinse the bone remnants off the meat and pat dry before cooking. If you plan to vacuum seal and freeze the osso buco, wrap them in parchment paper before vacuum sealing to prevent puncturing of the bag.

How to cook elk osso buco:

There are 2 important steps to creating tender, flavorful osso buco: sear the meat first and braise low and slow. Searing the meat caramelizes the outside and adds to the rich flavor of the dish. Braising the meat low and slow turns the collagen in the meat into gelatin and tenderizes even the toughest cuts of meat. This recipe uses a combination of wild game stock and red wine as the liquid to create a delicious gravy to serve with the meat.

Start by heating a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the osso buco all over with salt and pepper. Melt some lard (or other cooking fat) in the pan. Sear all sides of osso buco, working in batches to avoid crowding. Remove the meat and add some butter to the pan. Add in some diced vegetables and cook until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and then flour. This will help make a gravy while the meat braises. Add in the red wine and cook until bubbly. Pour in stock and add some herbs and spices. Add meat back to dutch oven. Cover and cook in a low heat oven (250°F) for 7-8 hours. A lot of recipes suggest 2-3 hours of cooking time but 7-8 hours seems to be the sweet spot for ulta-tender and flavorful meat.

How to make brown butter mashed potatoes:

Brown butter mashed potatoes are exactly what you'd expect them to be. They're like regular mashed potatoes but using brown butter adds a special nutty and sweet flavor to them. Browning the butter is a simple step that really takes your mashed potatoes to the next level. Add some good quality salted butter to a small pan. Heat over low heat until butter is melted. Continue cooking on very low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is browned but not burned. This usually takes around 20 minutes.

While butter is browning, boil potatoes. My favorite potatoes for mashed potatoes are Yukon golds because of their buttery flavor. Use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes. This is optional but leads to a more consistent texture compared to a traditional potato masher. Once butter is browned, strain it through a fine mesh strainer and add it to the riced potatoes. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, mix butter, salt, and pepper into potatoes. Warm up the half and half before mixing into the potatoes. Add half and half a little at a time to the potatoes, continuing to mix as you pour it in. Use enough cream to get the potatoes to your desired consistency. You may not need all the cream that is in the recipe. Continue to mix potatoes for 5 minutes or until fluffy.

Putting it all together:

Once your meat is perfectly tender and potatoes are light and fluffy, you're just about ready to serve! Remove the shanks and herbs from the dutch oven. Bring the sauce to a simmer on the stove and simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened. While gravy is simmering, you can remove the meat and connective tissue from the bones or you can serve pieces whole for a stunning presentation. Spread mashed potatoes in the bottom of your serving bowl. Place meat on top of potatoes and drizzle with gravy and vegetables. Don't forget to scoop out that delicious bone marrow for an extra rich treat! The flat side of a seafood fork works great to scoop it out. Serve and enjoy!

Jump to:

• What cut of meat is osso buco?
• How to cut shanks for elk osso buco:
• How to cook elk osso buco:
• How to make brown butter mashed potatoes:
• Putting it all together:
• Elk Osso Buco with Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes