Red Wine Balsamic Reduction: Improving the Osso Buco

So the wine I used for the Osso Buco, as it turns out, is pretty awful on its own. But when decanted and then drank only with the bison, it is just fine. Pretty cool.

To improve the overly-acidic pan sauce of the bison osso buco, I strained the vegetables and put the sauce on medium-high heat to reduce, while I reduced about 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar in another saucepan on high heat. I did the balsamic on high to reduce it fast, and the red wine pot on medium-high so there was less of a chance I would burn things...Know yourself.

The pan sauce thickened up beautifully, and I tasted it before adding anything to make sure it wasn't improved just through the reduction. It wasn't, so I added the tablespoon of reduced balsamic that was left in the other pot.

Ah...relief. It was better. No tartness messing with the rich flavour of the meat. Ironic that adding vinegar made it seem less acidic, but I think it was the sugar and depth of the balsamic that really added to the sauce without overwhelming it. I almost forgot to drink a little wine with it, and when I finally remembered the wine I wasn't sure if it would still be necessary.

Sorry, non-drinkers, it was still better with a tiny, tiny glass of wine. Just a touch on the tongue for every bite was all the mind needed to be satisfied. Perhaps if I were a better cook I could stop drinking. Until then...a votre santé.