Slow Cooker Pork Osso Buco Recipe

This slow cooker pork osso buco is braised the traditional way in white wine and broth with plum tomatoes, garlic, onion, and carrots filling the kitchen with the kind of aroma that tells you dinner is going to be good. Simple herbs slowly infuse the pork as it cooks, creating a rich, savory dish with meat that literally falls right off the bone. 

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Vera shares the little detail that makes this dish work so well…

★★★★★

Fantastic! I only used 1/4 stick of butter for the gravy because it tasted rich enough at that point. The gremolata is key because it balances out the richness of the meat and gravy and adds a nice freshness to the dish.”

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Have you ever tried a new food and fallen absolutely in love with it? Then wondered how on earth you had gone all your life without ever tasting it before? That’s what happened to me when I made pork osso buco for the first time.

Several days ago John stopped at our local Whole Foods on his way home from work. While browsing the meat section, he noticed an unusual cut of organic meat priced very cheaply.

We always prefer buying organic as it means humanely raised livestock with no antibiotics. Unfortunately, it’s usually priced very high, so this was basically a steal.

“Have you ever had pork osso buco?” he asked me over the phone.

I hadn’t, and even though John’s father owned an Italian restaurant when he was a kid, John realized that he had never tasted osso buco before either.

It turns out osso buco is incredibly easy to make in the slow cooker. The pork becomes fork tender and juicy, gently falling right off the bone after a long, slow simmer.

I’m always looking for comfort food meals that support our feel-good goals. We want something cozy and satisfying. That’s exactly why my Tasty Low Carb Stuffed Cabbage has become such a favorite in so many kitchens. It’s filling, comforting, and simply feels good to eat.

The moment I tried this osso buco, I knew it belonged right alongside it in my collection of dinner recipes. This meal has that same hearty, homey feel, with a richness that makes it feel just a little special. 

Just look at that. Mmmm. Am I making you hungry? This would be perfect for a special holiday time dinner.

From Milan to my kitchen

Osso buco is a traditional Milanese dish, typically made with veal. However, my daughter Nicole is studying Italian, and she informed me that “osso buco” just means bone with a hole. It refers to the marrow hole at the center of the cross-cut shank of meat.

If you love this osso buco, you should definitely check out my Italian-inspired recipes. They’re packed with flavors you’ll adore.

So I decided to prepare my pork osso buco the traditional way, braised in a white wine and vegetable broth.

Braising means first searing the meat, and then letting it simmer in a covered pot for several hours on the stove until the meat is soft and succulent and gently falls away from the bone when cut with a fork.

Please note: Typically, the meat is dredged in flour before searing it. I skipped this step to keep the dish grain-free, paleo, and low carb. Flour would create a crust on the shanks and contribute to thickening the sauce as it cooks. Choose a gluten free all purpose flour if you’d like to speed up the browning process.

Why use a slow cooker

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The braising process can be quite time consuming so I decided to use a slow cooker for the second step as it can be left unattended. (If you are looking to invest in a high-quality slow cooker, I recommend this one by Hamilton Beach).

If you love the ease and flavor of slow-cooker meals, don’t miss my collection of Easy Slow Cooker Recipes That Are Incredibly Flavorful.

Did you know you can make a cake in your slow cooker? I love seeing how other folks use theirs. A friend of mine has a simple Slow Cooker Pumpkin Cake. Just be sure to use a gluten-free cake mix, like I do in my Gluten Free Pumpkin Crisp. 

And that brings me to the morning that I planned to make the osso buco, I had been invited to a Christmas party brunch, so I got up early to prep the osso buco.

Instructions

*Free printable recipe card is available at the end of the post.

My pork shanks were tied with twine. And I did not remove the twine until the very end of the cooking process when I was ready to serve them.

First, I seasoned them with salt and pepper.

Then I seared them in butter on the stove until the meat was golden (you can sear them in oil if you are dairy-free). This tenderizes the meat and adds an incredible depth of flavor.

Once the pork was seared, I put it in the slow cooker. Then I deglazed the skillet by adding wine and scraped up all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. And I poured that wine over the pork in the slow cooker.

This is important because, those browned bits add even more flavor to the dish.

Next, I diced plum tomatoes in a shallow bowl and added them with their juices to the slow cooker along with bone broth (I had homemade Bone Broth in my fridge, but you can use gluten free store bought broth), diced garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. To build more flavor, I also added some sage, oregano, and a bay leaf.

Finally, all that was left to do was pop on the cover and set the slow cooker on low for 7 – 8 hours.

After a lovely time with some special friends, I returned home to the most wonderful aroma of osso buco simmering in the slow cooker.

Gravy and gremolata

When it was time for dinner, I also made a gravy to accompany the osso buco along with a special gremolata topping.

First, I strained the juices from the slow cooker into a skillet (I mashed the veggies through the strainer to extract as much liquid as possible). Next, I skimmed the fat off the top of the gravy that was in the skillet. 

Finally, I simmered to reduce for about 10 minutes and seasoned with salt and pepper. Then, just remove from the heat and stir in cold butter, one tablespoon at a time (you can skip this step if you are dairy free). As the butter slowly melts, it adds richness to your gravy. This is a French technique known as “monter au beurre,” and voila! A beautiful gravy ready in minutes.

And at last the gremolata! This is the traditional accompaniment to ossobuco alla milanese. It may sound really fancy, but gremolata is just chopped parsley tossed with lemon zest, garlic, and capers, the very same bright, punchy topping I use on my Sardines on Cauliflower Toast recipe. And is amazingly delicious, I might add. 

Serving suggestions

You don’t need a complicated spread to make this feel special. I made some risotto which is the perfect accompaniment to this traditional Italian meal (I recommend the risotto from Lundberg Farms Arborio. It is eco-farmed and gluten free).

To make it, I used the same technique to cook the risotto as I did in my Shrimp And Risotto Recipe.

If you’re following a low-carb diet you may want to serve Seasoned Cauliflower Rice or Creamy Cauliflower Mash.

Pro tips and recipe notes

• To make the lemon zest, you will need a microplane. Grate only the outer layer of the skin, rotating the lemon for just the zest and not the white pith which can be bitter. Since zest is grated from the very outer layer of the lemon peel, choosing organic when you can will help you avoid unwanted residues (pesticides, wax coating, etc.). Either way, wash the fruit thoroughly and dry it completely. Clean, dry skin gives you brighter citrusy flavor and keeps the zest light and fluffy instead of sticky.
• For dairy-free options, sear meat in oil instead of butter and eliminate butter from your gravy.
• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

And dinner is ready! Gluten free, paleo-friendly and scrumptious to the last bite.

Enjoy! Have a happy and healthy week, friends!

P.S. If you’re anything like me, the nights you don’t plan ahead are the hardest. Which is why I have a simple way to turn everyday meat or fish into comforting, flavorful meals even on busy nights. Here’s the easy way to make dinner taste better any night of the week.

More pork recipes 

How To Make Amazing Pork Chops In Your Slow Cooker – These pork chops are mouthwateringly tender and cooked over a bed of sweet carrots and onions in the most intense savory gravy. Yum.

Spice Rubbed Pork Roast – This savory roast with its rich basting sauce makes a wonderfully satisfying dinner.

My Secret For Juicy Grilled Pork Chops (With Chimichurri Sauce) – Fire up the grill and get ready to dig into the tastiest pork chops topped with zesty chimichurri sauce.

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4.78 from 9 votes

Slow Cooker Pork Osso Buco Recipe

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Osso buco is super easy to make in a slow cooker, and the meat is so tender and juicy, that it literally falls right off the bone. Please see my notes for dairy-free options.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 467kcal

Author Barbara Bianchi

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pork shank osso buco tied with butcher's twine
• 2 tablespoons of butter for searing the pork or coconut oil if you prefer

Savory base of flavor

• 1/2 cup white wine Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
• 1 cup bone broth homemade or store bought

Vegetables

• 1 onion diced
• 1 stalk celery diced
• 1 carrot peeled and diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 3 plum tomatoes diced

Herbs

• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon sage
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano

For gravy

• 1 stick of cold butter for gravy optional
• salt and pepper to taste

For gremolata:

• ½ cup fresh Italian parsley chopped
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 lemons washed and dried, I recommend organic lemons if available
• extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup capers

Instructions

• Rinse meat under cold water and dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
  2 pounds pork shank osso buco tied with butcher's twine
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. When the butter foams, add the pork to the skillet. Cook until golden, searing the meat for 4 minutes on each side and transfer to your slow cooker.
  2 tablespoons of butter for searing the pork
• Deglaze the skillet with the wine. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet and pour into the slow cooker. Add the tomatoes and their juices, bone broth, onion, carrot, garlic, celery, sage, oregano and a bay leaf. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours.
  1 onion, 1 stalk celery, 1 carrot, 4 cloves garlic, 3 plum tomatoes, 1 cup bone broth, 1/2 cup white wine, 1/4 teaspoon sage, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1 bay leaf

For gravy

• Transfer the shanks to a plate, cover and set aside. Strain the juices from the slow cooker into your skillet. Mash veggies to extract liquid as much as possible. Skim the fat off the top of the gravy.
• Simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in one stick of butter.
  1 stick of cold butter for gravy

For gremolata:

• Zest the skin of both lemons. Add lemon zest, garlic, and capers to parsley and toss in a small bowl.
  ½ cup fresh Italian parsley, 1 clove garlic, 2 lemons, ¼ cup capers, extra-virgin olive oil
• Serve Osso Buco topped with gravy and gremolata.

Notes

• Typically, the meat is dredged in flour before searing it. I skipped this step to keep the dish grain-free, paleo, and low carb. Flour would create a crust on the shanks and contribute to thickening the sauce as it cooks. Choose a gluten free all purpose flour if you'd like to speed up the browning process.
• To make the lemon zest, you will need a microplane. Grate only the outer layer of the skin, rotating the lemon for just the zest and not the white pith which can be bitter. The zest is milder than the juice and a bit floral. Since zest is grated from the very outer layer of the lemon peel, choosing organic when you can will help you avoid unwanted residues (pesticides, wax coating, etc.). Either way, wash the fruit thoroughly and dry it completely. Clean, dry skin gives you brighter citrusy flavor and keeps the zest light and fluffy instead of sticky.
• For dairy-free options, sear meat in oil instead of butter and eliminate butter from your gravy.
• This dish can be served with Italian risotto or if you're following a low-carb diet you may want to serve seasoned cauliflower rice or creamy cauliflower mash.
• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 467kcal

did you make this recipe? If you found this recipe helpful, please leave a quick comment and a ★★★★★ rating. It really helps others find this recipe and means a lot to me. Thanks so much!