A Farm Kitchen Favorite: Slow-Cooked Ossobuco with Creamed Parsnips and Asparagus

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April 23, 2025

There’s something deeply satisfying about taking a humble cut of meat and turning it into a show-stopping, soul-warming meal. That’s exactly what ossobuco is all about. This Italian classic, made from cross-cut beef shanks, brings together rich bone marrow, tender beef, and a hearty sauce—all from a cut most folks walk right past at the grocery store. But in our kitchen, this cut gets the star treatment.

Today, we’re walking you through a simple, slow-cooked version of ossobuco that doesn’t require hours of babysitting on the stovetop. Just a quick sear in a pan, then let the crockpot do the rest. We like to serve ours with buttery creamed parsnips and tender-crisp asparagus—a plate that’s rustic, comforting, and downright elegant.

Why Ossobuco?

Ossobuco literally means “bone with a hole,” referring to the marrow-filled center of the beef shank. That marrow slowly melts into the sauce as it cooks, adding richness and depth that you just can’t get from leaner cuts. It’s the kind of food that sticks to your ribs and warms your soul, especially when the weather turns cool or when you just need a meal that feels like home.

And when it comes from pasture-raised cattle, you’re getting more than flavor—you’re getting nutrition, sustainability, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing your food was raised with care.

Crockpot Ossobuco Recipe

Serves 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 6–8 hours on low

You’ll need:

2–3 pieces of C&F Farms Ossobuco
Salt & pepper
1/2 cup flour (optional, for dredging)
2 tbsp olive oil or lard
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3–4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine (or beef broth)
1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 cup beef broth
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Zest of 1 lemon (optional, for garnish)
Chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)

Instructions:

Prep & Sear: Pat the ossobuco dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper. Dredge lightly in flour if you want a thicker sauce. Heat oil or lard in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear each piece until browned on all sides—about 2–3 minutes per side. Don’t skip this step—it adds layers of flavor.
Sauté Veggies: In the same skillet, reduce heat and add onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
Deglaze: Pour in the wine or broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits. Let it simmer for a minute or two to reduce slightly.
Crockpot Time: Transfer the seared ossobuco to your crockpot. Pour the veggie/wine mixture over the top. Add crushed tomatoes, beef broth, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 6–8 hours until the meat is tender and nearly falling off the bone.
Serve: Carefully remove the ossobuco and spoon the sauce over top. Finish with lemon zest and parsley if desired. Serve with creamed parsnips and sautéed asparagus for a full plate of comfort.

Creamed Parsnips (a cozy alternative to mashed potatoes)

2 lbs parsnips, peeled and chopped
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil parsnips until tender, drain, and mash with butter and cream. Season well and serve warm.

Asparagus (simple and fresh)

1 bunch fresh asparagus
Olive oil or butter
Salt and pepper
A squeeze of lemon (optional)

Trim the ends, toss with oil or butter, and roast at 425°F for 10–12 minutes, or sauté quickly on the stovetop.

This meal is one of our favorite ways to slow down and enjoy the fruits of good farming and good food. It’s not fancy—it’s just real, honest cooking that makes you proud to gather around the table. If you make this dish, we’d love to hear how it turned out—or better yet, see a picture!

Want to try it yourself?

Grab some ossobuco from our online store or market booth while it’s in stock—this cut doesn’t last long!

Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Potato Soup

A cozy, one-pot comfort meal your whole family will love!

Why Pork Deserves a Place on Your Plate

Why Pork Deserves More Respect Pork’s gotten a bit of a bad rap over the years. Somewhere along the way, it went from being the centerpiece of the dinner table to the “questionable” meat — the one people talk around instead of about. But the truth is, real pork, raised right, is one of the most nourishing, versatile, and downright delicious foods you can eat. If you’ve only ever had grocery store pork, it’s easy to see how the misunderstanding happened. Commercial pork — pale, bland, and watery — doesn’t even resemble what pork was meant to be. The difference isn’t just taste. It’s nutrition, animal welfare, and soil health, too. Let’s set the record straight. Pork Is Packed With Nutrients Pork is one of the best natural sources of: B Vitamins (especially B1, B6, and B12) — for energy, brain health, and metabolism Zinc — for immune function and hormone support Selenium — a key antioxidant that helps protect your cells Iron and Phosphorus — essential for strong blood and bones And if you choose lean cuts like tenderloin or loin chops, pork is every bit as lean as chicken breast — with more flavor and satisfaction per bite. What Makes Pasture-Raised Pork Healthier Here’s where the story changes. Pigs raised in confinement — on concrete, under fluorescent lights, eating corn and soy feed — simply can’t produce the same quality meat as pigs raised on pasture. Our pigs live outside, rotating through fields and woods, foraging for roots, acorns, grass, and grubs. They get sunshine, fresh air, and exercise. The result? Higher levels of omega-3 fats and vitamin D A better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (important for heart and brain health) Naturally richer color and deeper flavor Less stress, which means better meat texture and nutrient retention And all that rooting and turning of the soil? That’s regenerative farming in action — pigs being pigs, building healthier pastures as they go. The Truth About Lard Remember when Grandma cooked everything in lard? Turns out, she was onto something. Lard from pasture-raised pigs is high in monounsaturated fat (like olive oil) and naturally stable at high heat, making it one of the best fats you can cook with. It’s free of the highly processed seed oils that dominate modern diets — and it actually helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. The fear of “fat” in general came from bad science, not bad pork. Our Approach: Pork That Does Better At C&F Farms, our pigs are part of the bigger picture. They help us build soil fertility, reduce waste, and restore balance to our land. They live well, they eat well, and that shows in every bite of pork that comes off our farm. You can taste the difference — and more importantly, you can feel good about it. So, if you’ve been sticking to chicken and beef thinking pork’s not as “healthy,” it’s time to reconsider. The way we see it, pork deserves its rightful place back at the table — and once you’ve tried pasture-raised pork, you’ll wonder why it ever left. Try It for Yourself Looking to add pork back into your rotation? Start simple: a skillet-seared pork chop, a slow-cooked shoulder roast, or our breakfast sausage on a lazy Sunday morning. You’ll see exactly what we mean.

How Are Plant-Based Trends Shaping the Future of Farming? Pt.3

Fake Meat, Real Consequences: How Plant-Based Trends Are Shaping the Future of Farming What plant-based meat means for crops, cattle, and the people who grow your food Over the last couple of emails, we’ve taken a close look at plant-based meat—what’s in it, where it comes from, and whether it’s really saving the planet like some folks claim. This week to wrap up, let’s zoom all the way out. Because beyond the burger, beyond the branding, beyond the sizzle and the soy—this shift toward “alternative proteins” is having a real, measurable impact on farmers. And it’s not all good. Some parts of agriculture stand to gain. Others? Not so much. So today, I want to share what this plant-based push looks like from our side of the fence—as a livestock farm that works directly with the land, the animals, and the folks who eat our food. Let’s break it down. 🐄 The Livestock Industry: Pressure’s Building, But It’s Not a Landslide (Yet) Let’s start with the obvious: plant-based meats are trying to take a bite out of the meat industry. And sure, they’ve made some noise. You’ve seen them in the fast food drive-thru, in the frozen aisle, maybe even on your cousin’s grill at the family cookout. Big names like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods got a lot of early attention, and venture capital money has poured into companies making everything from lab-grown chicken to “mycelium bacon.” But here’s the reality: Meat sales are still strong—especially real meat from small farms. Most Americans still eat meat regularly (more than 85%, according to some studies). And most people who buy plant-based meat aren’t vegetarians—they’re “flexitarians,” looking to cut back but not cut out. Still, we’re seeing real shifts, especially in: Fast food chains trying to appeal to younger, more environmentally-conscious customers Institutional buyers (like colleges and hospitals) looking to “green” their menus Investor-funded companies pressuring the media and grocery stores to carry more alternatives This affects conventional producers more than farms like ours—because our customers aren’t just shopping for calories. They’re buying flavor, ethics, and trust. But the pressure’s there. And it’s growing. 🌾 The Crop Side: More Peas, Fewer Cows? Let’s look at the other side of the food chain—what gets planted in the ground. To make a plant-based burger, you need crops. Lots of them. Peas (for protein isolate) Soybeans (textured soy protein) Canola (for oil) Mung beans, chickpeas, rice, and wheat gluten, depending on the brand This shift is starting to reshape what farmers grow, especially in areas like the Northern Plains and Canada, where pulses are becoming big business. Some would say that’s a good thing. More legumes = more diversity, right? But let’s not romanticize it: These crops are often grown in the same monoculture, high-input systems as corn and soy. Many still rely on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and tillage. And the bulk of the processing? It’s happening overseas—particularly in China and India, where cost is lower and environmental oversight is… let’s say, different. So, while we may be swapping one set of industrial ingredients for another, the underlying system hasn’t changed. It’s just wearing a plant-based label. 🧾 Winners, Losers, and Who’s Left Holding the Hay Bale Here’s a quick look at who’s benefiting—and who’s being left behind—in the fake meat gold rush: Winners Losers Global food processors & protein isolate manufacturers Small livestock producers who rely on commodity markets Investors & start-ups with slick branding Soil health (if we keep propping up monocultures) Industrial pulse crop farmers Rural communities without access to value-added processing Big food brands adding green options Consumers thinking they are getting real, whole food Meanwhile, folks like us—who are working with animals, rotating pastures, stewarding land—we’re out here actually regenerating the environment… and getting squeezed between policy trends and supermarket marketing. 🤔 The Big Picture: Is Fake Meat the Solution, or Just a New Distraction? Let’s ask the million-dollar question: Are plant-based meats fixing the food system? In my view: not really. They may reduce emissions compared to feedlot beef, but they do nothing to solve the root problems of: Soil degradation Chemical dependency Globalized, fragile supply chains Processed, nutrient-poor food And they certainly don’t bring back the connection between people and their food. That’s where regenerative farming shines. We’re not outsourcing. We’re not isolating protein or flavor in a lab. We’re building food systems from the ground up—literally—starting with the soil and working outward to healthy animals and well-fed communities. 🧠 What Can You Do? Here’s the good news: you don’t need a PhD in food science to make the right call. You just need to ask questions like: Who grew this food? How was it raised? Can I pronounce the ingredients? Can I picture the farm it came from? And maybe most importantly… Can I shake the hand that raised it? If you can’t, maybe it’s not the kind of food we should be building our future on. 🙏 Thank You for Standing With Real Farms At C&F Farms, we’re doing this the old way—with a forward-thinking twist. We’re rotating animals, improving soil, treating animals with care, and growing food that feeds people… not investors. We’re not trying to reinvent meat—we’re trying to restore trust in it. So thanks for standing with us. Thanks for choosing real food, real farms, and real flavor. And if someone at the grocery store ever tells you fake meat is going to save the world? Tell them your farmer said otherwise.