Venison Osso Buco with Quince and Roselle Leaves
Roselle hibiscus leaves (also known under their Indian name gongura) are an underused vegetable that can add a sour kick to a variety of dishes. Here we re-imagine an Italian classic, osso buco, using venison shanks, roselle leaves, and sour quince fruits. This slow-braised dish makes for an elegant entree for a cool-weather dinner.This recipe is free of gluten, dairy, and nightshades.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp light oil (sunflower, avocado, etc) divided
- 4 venison shanks cut osso buco-style
- Chinese Five Spice seasoning as needed
- 2 quinces peeled, cored, and cubed
- 2 carrots chopped
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup dry Marsala wine
- 3 green cardamom pods whole
- 2 cups broth (chicken, beef, etc)
- 4 cups roselle (hibiscus) leaves (also called gongura)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large braising pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat venison in five spice seasoning. Brown on all sides, then remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil. Saute onion and garlic until softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add carrots and quince, saute for an additional 2-3 minutes longer.
- Return venison to pan. Lightly crush the cardamom pods to crack open the outer case (don't break them apart). Add them to the pan, then stir in the wine and broth. Bring to a simmer.
- Cover the pan and transfer to the oven to roast at 325°F for 1.5 - 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Turn the meat every 30 minutes, and add additional broth if things are looking too dry )the liquid should reduce some during cooking, but it should remain somewhat soupy).
- Remove venison from the pan and set aside. Trim and discard stems from roselle leaves, then cut them into thin strips. Stir in pan. Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes, or until greens are tender.
- Transfer venison to serving dishes, and serve covered with the stewed quince and vegetables.
Notes
- While venison is slowly finding its way into mainstream supermarkets, specialty gourmet cuts like osso buco-style shanks are still the domain of hunters and exotic game retailers. Since hunting and processing our own deer is not part of our current repertoire, we buy ours from Fossil Farms.
- Roselle leaves are not common in most US grocery stores, but they can be sometimes be found in Indian markets under the name "gongura". Roselle can also be grown in the garden in many parts of the country.
- Quince occasionally turn up in mainstream US supermarkets, mainly in the fall. They are also popular in Chinese and Korean cuisine, so try looking in Asian grocery stores that deal in produce from these countries (the H Mart near us regularly has them on hand).