Osso Bucco, braised beef shank, is lifted to a new level with the addition of Belizean cocoa powder, a rich, organic by-product of making chocolate bars. Who’s in? We started with beef that is grass-fed and lean, therefore a little more chewy than say a popular prime cut. Searing and then slow cooking the beef on the bone in broth along with some tomatoes and red wine for acidity, is the way to insure it releases it’s flavors and becomes tender to the fork. After cooking in the aromatic stock, the addition of fresh, local squashes, in this case, zuchinni and chayote, also known as a mirliton. Add carrots and onions to help balance out the meal. Serve this with our Cocoa Butter Finished Risotto and you have a meal fit to impress another chef or your best friend.
Osso Bucco con cocoa, mind blowing flavor level ⋆ Chef John Malik
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Type: Main course
Cuisine: Italian, fusion
Keywords: osso bucco, beef, cocao, coco, cocoa, cocoa powder,
Recipe Yield: 4 servings
Calories: 250
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
Recipe Ingredients:
- 4 beef shanks
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons black pepper, freshly ground
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 sweet, yellow onions, peeled and diced
- 1 habanero, or otherwise hot pepper, seeds removed and finely diced
- 8 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced fine
- 1 quart fine beef stock
- 12 ounces fine California Merlot
- 1 can peeled,diced, tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder (not Hershey’s), should be high quality
- 6 plum tomatoes, quartered
- 2 zucchini, diced
- 2 chayote squash, also known as mirliton, peeled, pit removed, diced
Recipe Instructions: Season the beef shanks with salt & pepper In a large steel stock pot over high heat, add the vegetable oil then sear the beef shanks on both sides to a crisp, dark brown. Remove from pot. Add onions, carrots, garlic and sauté until translucent. Add the red wine, simmer until the aroma of alcohol has cooked off, then add the beef shanks, beef stock, cacao powder, habanero, remaining salt and pepper, and canned tomatoes. Cover, place pot in a 350° F oven for 90 minutes. Remove from oven and add quartered fresh tomatoes, diced zucchini, and chayote squash. Return to oven for 25 minutes. Time to start the risotto. When risotto is finished, remove beef from oven, taste and add salt if necessary. Serve over cocoa butter risotto.
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