Bone Deep: Wild Boar Osso Buco with Risotto Milanese

Some recipes spend months calling your name before you finally make them.

A few years ago, I returned from a trip to Fossil Farms with several beautiful wild boar shanks tucked into my freezer. Every time I opened the door, they seemed to be reminding me they were there. Eventually, their call became too difficult to ignore, and those shanks became the centerpiece of one of the most memorable Italian meals to come out of my kitchen.

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Osso buco is one of northern Italy's great comfort foods. The name translates literally to "bone with a hole," a reference to the marrow-filled bone at the center of the shank. Traditionally prepared with veal and served alongside Risotto Milanese, it is a dish built on patience. Tough cuts of meat are slowly braised until fork tender, while simple ingredients such as wine, tomatoes, onions, carrots, and herbs transform into a rich, deeply flavored sauce.

While my roots are in Parma, this iconic pairing comes from neighboring Lombardy, where osso buco and saffron infused risotto have shared the table for generations. Rather than following tradition exactly, I decided to substitute wild boar for the veal. The result was richer, earthier, and perfectly suited to a cold evening when comfort food was exactly what I was craving.

The beauty of osso buco is that it sounds far more complicated than it actually is. Once the ingredients are assembled, the oven does most of the work. A few hours later, the meat is falling from the bone, the sauce has developed incredible depth, and all that remains is to spoon everything over a creamy bed of Risotto Milanese.

Wild Boar Osso Buco with Risotto Milanese

(serves 4)

Wild boar shanks can be difficult to find. Veal shanks are the traditional choice for osso buco, while pork shanks make an excellent substitute and can be prepared exactly the same way.

Wild Boar Osso Buco

Ingredients:

• 4 wild boar shanks, approximately 1.5 to 2 kg (3 to 4 lb.)

• 30 g all-purpose flour (¼ cup), for dredging

• 60 g unsalted butter (4 Tbs.)

• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced

• 1 small carrot, finely diced

• 1 celery stalk, finely diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 360 ml dry white wine (1½ cups)

• 425 g crushed tomatoes (15 oz.)

• 240 ml chicken stock (1 cup)

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 sprig fresh thyme

• salt & pepper, to taste

• chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F).

2. Season the wild boar shanks generously with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge them in flour, shaking off any excess. For a gluten-free option, substitute the flour with rice flour.

3. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the shanks on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes total. Remove from the pot and set aside.

4. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pot. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

5. Pour in the white wine and simmer until reduced by about half.

6. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer.

7. Return the shanks to the pot, nestling them into the sauce.

8. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 to 2½ hours, or until the meat is very tender and beginning to pull away from the bone.

9. Remove the bay leaf and thyme. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

10. Spoon the sauce over the shanks and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Risotto Milanese

Ingredients:

• 30 g unsalted butter (2 Tbs.)

• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced

• 225 g Arborio rice (½ lb.)

• 240 ml dry white wine (1 cup)

• A pinch of saffron threads

• 1 liter low-sodium chicken stock (4 cups), warmed

• 85 g Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (3 oz.)

Instructions:

1. Pour the chicken stock into a saucepan and add the saffron. Heat until warm, then keep over low heat while preparing the risotto.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the Arborio rice and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the grains are lightly toasted.

4. Pour in the white wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost completely absorbed.

5. Add the warm stock one ladle at a time, stirring frequently. Allow each addition to be nearly absorbed before adding more.

6. Continue adding stock and stirring until the rice is tender but still has a slight bite, about 25 to 30 minutes.

7. The finished risotto should be creamy and fluid, not dry or stiff. If needed, add a splash of additional stock to achieve the desired consistency.

8. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano until fully incorporated.

9. Serve immediately with the osso buco spooned over the top.

Featured Wine

For this meal, I opened a bottle of Crociani Vino Nobile di Montepulciano from Tuscany. Many people automatically reach for Barolo, Barbaresco, or Amarone with osso buco, and all can be excellent choices. This particular wine, however, offered the perfect balance of bright acidity, earthy notes, and firm structure to complement the richness of the braised wild boar.

Crociani is a family-owned winery in the hilltop town of Montepulciano, one of Tuscany's most historic wine regions. While Brunello di Montalcino often receives more international attention, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano has a history that stretches back centuries and remains one of Italy's great food wines. Produced primarily from Sangiovese, these wines tend to combine bright acidity, savory character, and elegant structure, making them exceptionally versatile at the table.

What I appreciate most about wineries like Crociani is their commitment to tradition. The wines are not made to chase trends or scores. They are made to accompany food, family, and conversation. Sitting down to a plate of wild boar osso buco and saffron infused risotto with a glass of Vino Nobile felt like a reminder of why Italian wine and Italian food have evolved together for generations.

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