Osso Bucco Milanese

Recipe looks complicated at first because it's so long. But it really is simple to prepare. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• Gremolata:
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Osso Bucco:
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup carrot, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup celery, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 strips lemon peel (no pith)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 8 (1 1/2-inch-thick) veal hind shanks, each tied lightly around center
• Flour, spread on a plate
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup[ beef broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes (chopped) with juice
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For Gramolata:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture over shanks while they are still cooking, but done, so that Gremolata cooks with the veal no longer than 2 minutes.

For Osso Bucco:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare Gremolata; set aside.
2. In a heavy pot (cast-iron preferred), large enough to accommodate all shanks in a single layer, add onion, carrot, celery and butter; turn on heat to medium; cook 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and lemon peel; cook 3 minutes until vegetables are softened. Remove pan from heat.
3. Place olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge shanks in flour; shake off excess. When oil is hot brown shanks deeply all over. Remove shanks with a slotted spoon; stand side by side over vegetables in pot.
4. Tip skillet and remove all but a little oil. Add wine, reduce over simmering heat, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Pour skillet juices over veal in pot.
5. Put broth in skillet, bring to a simmer, and add to pot. Add chopped tomatoes and juices, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Broth should be two-thirds of the way up to the top of the shanks. If not, add more broth. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, and place in lower third of oven. Cook for about 2 hours, or until meat feels tender when prodded with a fork, and a dense creamy sauce has formed. Turn and baste every 20 minutes. If liquid in pot becomes insufficient, add 2 tablespoons water at a time, as needed.
6. When shanks are done, add Gremolata; cook for 2 more minutes.
7. Transfer shanks to a platter and carefully remove trussing strings without letting shanks come apart. Pour sauce over; serve at once. If pot juices are too thin and watery, boil down excess liquid.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Submitted 1/29/10.
Source: Old family recipe from Great Great Grandma.
Submitted By: Patricia Contreras
chefmuzz@gmail.com
Osso Bucco Milanese