One of our favourite and most celebrated meals on the estancia is osobuco. There is nothing nicer than walking in for dinner to be greeted by the aroma of red wine and rosemary. Our chefs prepare the osobuco at lunchtime, and the meat braises for at least five hours, making it a true slow-cooked Argentine dish.

Osobuco is the shank, or shin bone, of the animal, and is commonly found on Italian menus. However, it's traditionally cut into smaller disks rather than served whole, as we do here at the estancia.

Osobuco Recipe

Serves 4 generously, with plenty for a second helping

Ingredients:

1 bottle of red wine
4 onions (2 diced, 2 in quarters)
2 cloves of garlic, diced
2 bay leaves
Tomato purée
Fresh thyme
A few sprigs of rosemary
1 stock cube
3 rashers of bacon
4 handfuls of mushrooms
3 carrots

Method:

Sauté the diced onions, garlic, and bacon in a deep saucepan.
Add the joint of beef, bay leaves, thyme, stock cube, and red wine. Make sure the liquid covers the entire joint - top up with red wine and water during cooking if needed.
Cook over a low heat for a minimum of five hours.
An hour before serving, add the carrots, mushrooms, and remaining onions, and continue cooking alongside the meat.
When ready to serve, lift the beef from the pan - if cooked correctly and for long enough, it should fall from the bone. Serve the mushrooms, onions, and carrots separately, with the cooking juices as a gravy.

This traditional braised beef recipe is a hearty centrepiece for any estancia dinner, and a perfect example of the slow-cooked comfort food that defines Argentine country cuisine.