A dish that comes from afar and finds a home in Siena
The Ossobuco alla Senese has Milanese origins, but in Siena it found something that it didn't have elsewhere: the hands of Sienese cooks, who transformed it by adding lemon zest, thyme, and sage. Three ingredients that change everything, bringing the scent of aromatic herbs into a recipe already rich in character. The result is something different from the original: more aromatic, deeper, more Sienese. A dish that tells how this city has always known how to take what comes from outside and make it its own.
What it is and how to recognize it
It arrives at the table and is immediately recognizable. Thick slices two or three centimeters high, with that round bone in the center that holds the marrow: it is the tibia of the veal, braised with vegetables and aromatic herbs for hours over low heat, until the meat falls off on its own and the aroma fills the whole kitchen. One of those dishes that you can smell before you see them, that arrive steaming and ask to be eaten slowly, with the time they deserve.
The recipe
Ingredients for 4 people
To prepare the Ossobuco alla Senese you need: 4 ossobuchi, 2 Tropea onions, 2 stalks of celery, 2 carrots, half a liter of white wine, tomato paste, salt, flour, and extra virgin olive oil. Simple, almost obvious ingredients. But it is patience that makes the difference.
The preparation
Take the 4 ossobuchi, trim the sides, and dust them with flour on both sides. Meanwhile, prepare a chopped mixture with the vegetables, which goes into a large baking dish with olive oil. When the mixture starts to brown, add the ossobuchi and season with salt. Cook over low heat, turning occasionally. During cooking, pour in the white wine and, once reduced, add two tablespoons of tomato paste and half a liter of water. Continue to cook for at least 60 minutes, turning the ossobuchi from time to time. The low heat does its job, slowly, without haste. And when it's ready, you know it.
