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Osso Buco stars at La Bella Cucina where customers “eat with their eyes.” Spring 2004

We wanted to know just how our fully cooked Pork Osso Buco was working in the kitchen and on the table. So we talked with Tony Riccio, chef and owner of La Bella Cucina in Palm Desert, California. Tony’s been a chef and restaurateur for more than 25 years and has a second restaurant in Palm Springs. Here’s what he told us:

OPERATOR: Tell us about La Bella Cucina and Farmland Pork Osso Buco.

CHEF RICCIO: “We’re a trattoria, a family-style place. We seat 70 to 80 people inside and on the patio. We have the restaurant, deli and catering. We’ve been using Farmland Osso Buco for six months and it works great for us.”

OPERATOR: What helped you decide to put it on the menu?

CHEF RICCIO: “We were looking for something different, something to expand our menu and give people more choices.”

OPERATOR: How do you feature it on the menu?

CHEF RICCIO: “We use it as a special, it’s on the menu at least three nights a week.”

OPERATOR: Is it popular, have you experienced a sales increase?

CHEF RICCIO: “Our customers are open to new ideas, they like ordering new things, so it gives us a new added menu item, something new for them to try. The Osso Buco is doing very well for us.”

OPERATOR: Do you see menu opportunities ahead for the new Petite Pork Osso Buco?

CHEF RICCIO: “It’ll give us even more menu alternatives, and some additional sales opportunities. With the 17-ounce, sometimes that’s all they order. With the 12-ounce, you can add an appetizer and a salad.”

OPERATOR: Since it’s precooked, does your preparation time decrease?

CHEF RICCIO: “We make three Osso Bucos. For me the veal takes 3 hours, the lamb 2 hours, and the Farmland 30 to 40 minutes. That’s great. And, if you need to fill in with a fast special, 30 to 40 minutes and you’ve got it. It’s also great for our catering operation.”

OPERATOR: What do you find unique about it?

CHEF RICCIO: “The bag system works out well, it’s easier to work with. Just follow the directions, you can’t overcook or undercook it. It’s consistent, it’s quality, it’s quicker, it’s ready to go when you take the bag off.”

OPERATOR: Do you use a sauce? What’s your presentation like?

CHEF RICCIO: “We make a special sauce to separate it from our other Osso Buco items. It’s made with cannellini beans, and we serve it on a bed of the beans.”

OPERATOR: Is it popular with any particular group of customers?

CHEF RICCIO: “Men like to order it, but you know, people eat with their eyes. When you put it on the table, everyone puts a fork in it. I’ll give you the recipe.”