Risotto Alla Milanese

Main Serves 6 people Italy

For the Steaks: 

1.5 kg Ossobuco steaks

4 sticks celery, washed and finely chopped

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 carrots, scraped and finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

4 tbsp  olive oil

1/4 litre Passata

2 tbsp concentrated tomato puree, diluted in a little warm water

About 600 ml dry white wine

Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper

For the Risotto: 

½ medium sized white or brown onion, peeled and very finely chopped
100 g unsalted butter
40 g raw beef bone marrow, chopped (optional)
500 g Vialone Gigante or other risotto rice
1.5 litres rich stock (traditionally made with veal, beef and chicken; assorted vegetables but absolutely no tomato), kept simmering 
1 to 2 sachets of saffron powder or a pinch of saffron threads soaked in 4 tbsp hot water or stock
50 g freshly grated Parmesan

Step 1

Wipe the Ossobuco steaks to make sure there are no shards of bone and trim them if necessary.  

Step 2

Put all the vegetables and the oil into a heavy bottomed pan large enough to also comfortably take all the meat. 

Step 3

Fry the vegetables and the oil together for about 10 minutes or until softened.  

Step 4

Remove the vegetables and set to one side. 

Step 5

Add the meat to the pan and brown carefully on both sides.  

Step 6

Add half the wine and boil quickly for one minute, then lower the heat and return the vegetables to the pan. 

Step 7

Add the passata and the concentrated tomato puree.  

Step 8

Season and cover to simmer for about 2 hours or until very tender.  Stir fairly frequently and baste with the remaining wine.  Served traditionally with a plain white or a saffron Risotto alla Milanese.

Step 9

Soak the onion in cold water for about 10 minutes, then drain and squeeze dry in a napkin.  (This is just to make it less strong flavoured - but you can skip this step if you prefer).

Step 10

Fry the onion very slowly over a low heat in half the butter with the beef marrow and when the onion is soft, add the rice.  Stir and coat the grains thoroughly until the rice grains are crackling hot but not coloured.  

Step 11

Begin to add the hot stock, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more. Continue to cook the rice in this way making sure that the rice always absorbs the stock before you add more liquid.  

Step 12

About half way through cooking time (approximately ten minutes) add the saffron powder (or soaked threads with the soaking liquiud) and stir through thoroughly.  

Step 13

When the risotto is creamy and velvety, but the rice grains are still firm to the bite, take it off the heat.

Step 14

Stir in the rest of the butter and the cheese.  

Step 15

Cover and rest for 4 minutes, then stir again and transfer on to a warmed platter. 

Step 16

Serve at once, offering extra grated Parmesan at the table.