There is more on Charlottesville’s plate than just what’s found on the Downtown Mall. Traveling outside the reliable confines of the Downtown Mall bubble might well be worth it. At Three Notch’d Grill in Crozet, the Pork Osso Buco with Saffron Risotto is a standout on the menu.
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Co-owner and Chef Hayden Berry says this flavorsome recipe commonly features veal, but the price of veal “has gone through the roof.” So he substituted pork in an effort to maintain a moderately priced menu, and serves the dish with saffron risotto (about 1/2 teaspoon of saffron will flavor 2 cups of risotto, if you’re wondering). Veal osso buco—“osso buco” means “bone with a hole” and refers to the veal’s marrow filling—is a popular Italian dish and there are many variations. If you’re making this at home, you can try the Three Notch’d Grill version or the traditional Milanese version with veal. Then again, maybe chicken will do…
Three Notch’d Grill’s Pork Osso Buco
6 cross cut pork shanks (1 3/4" thick)
about 1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
5 Tbs. butter
2 cups dry white wine
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 shallot
1 yellow onion
4 garlic cloves
2 1/2 cups canned tomatoes
3 Tbs. tomato paste
zest and juice of 1 lemon
zest and juice of 1 orange
3 cups veal stock
1 bay leaf
parsley, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat shanks dry. Season flour with salt and pepper. Heat oil and butter, then dredge shanks in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Brown shanks on all sides. Transfer to a roasting pan. Add wine and boil, scraping up any brown bits, until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the vegetables and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir in zest (reserving a little for garnish) and veal stock. Taste for salt and pepper, and simmer for about 25 minutes.
Purée sauce in blender. Pour sauce over shanks. Cover pan with foil and braise in oven for 1 1/2 hours. Turn shanks over, cover, and continue to braise until meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours more. Skim excess fat from surface of sauce before serving. Stir in orange and lemon juices. Mix together parsley and remaining zest and sprinkle over shanks. Serves six.