VEAL OSSO BUCO

This recipe is slightly modified from "The Complete Meat Cookbook" by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly, 1998. We highly recommend this cookbook for those of you who are meat lovers and are looking for some different recipes.

Ingredients:

4 – 6 veal shanks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces prosciutto
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry white wine
1 ½ cups diced plum tomatoes
2 cups of beef stock
2 – 3 small strips of lemon peel
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried

Basil Gremolata (recipe below)

Veal Shanks:

Preheat oven to 325 deg F. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over high heat. Add the shanks and brown them on all sides, turning often, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the meat and set it aside.

Braising Sauce:

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pan. Turn heat down to medium, add the proscuitto, onions, and carrot, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft. Put in the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the wine, tomatoes and beef stock and bring to a boil. Put in the lemon peel, bay leaf, rosemary and oregano, stir to mix, then add the veal shanks. Cover the pot and put in the center of the oven. Bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falls away from the bone, turning the meat occasionally.

Once cooked, remove from oven and remove bay leaves from sauce. Serve over the Risotto Milanese and top with the basil gremolata.

Basil Gremolata:

2 teaspoons lemon zest
½ teaspoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and keep refrigerated. This will keep for 2 to 4 hours.