🛒  Ingredients

🥩  4 elk shanks (Osso Buco)
🧂  Salt & pepper
🌾  ½ cup flour (for dredging)
🫒  3 tbsp olive oil
🧈  2 tbsp butter
🧅  1 onion
🥕  2 carrots
🌿  2 celery stalks (diced)
🧄  4 garlic cloves (minced)
🍅  2 tbsp tomato paste
🍷  1 cup dry red wine
🥣  2 cups beef or game stock
🫙  1 cup crushed tomatoes
🌿  2 thyme
🌿 1 bay leaf
🍋  Zest of 1 lemon
🌿  Gremolata
🌿  Parsley
🍋  Lemon zest
🧄  Minced garlic

🔥  Instructions

✳️  Prep:
Pat shanks dry, season, and dredge in flour.

🔥  Sear:
Brown in oil & butter (3–4 min/side); remove.

🥕  Sauté:
Cook onion, carrot & celery until soft; add garlic & tomato paste.

🍷  Deglaze:
Add wine, scrape up bits, reduce by half.

🥫  Sauce Base:
Add stock, tomatoes, herbs & lemon zest.

⏲️  Braise:
Return shanks, cover, bake 325°F (165°C) for 2½–3 hrs until tender.

🎛️  Finish:
Remove herbs, reduce sauce if needed, season.

🌿  Serve:
Top with gremolata.

🍽️  Serving Ideas

🍛  Creamy polenta
🥔  Mashed potatoes
🍚  Risotto alla Milanese

💡  Tip

🦌  Elk is lean — slow braising keeps it juicy and tender. Even better the next day!