Milanese Braised Veal Shanks

Osso Buco alla Milanese

Ingredients

4 veal shanks (3cm thick), 100g flour, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery, 4 garlic, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 cup white wine, 3 cups stock, bay leaf, thyme, lemon zest

Detail Steps and Procedure

Prep Veal Shanks: Select 4 veal shanks (hind leg), each 3-4cm thick (about 350g each). Pat extremely dry with paper towels. Using kitchen twine, tie each shank around circumference to hold shape during braising. Dredge: Mix 100g all-purpose flour with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper. Dredge each shank, shaking off excess. Searing Setup: Heat large Dutch oven over medium-high heat 3 minutes. Add 3 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter until butter foams. Sear Shanks: Working in batches (do not crowd), sear shanks 4-5 minutes per side until deep golden brown crust forms. Remove to plate. Soffritto Base: Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 finely chopped onion, 2 carrots ( 1/2cm dice), 2 celery stalks ( 1/2cm dice). Cook 8-10 minutes until soft but not brown. Tomato Paste: Push vegetables to side. Add 2 tbsp tomato paste to cleared spot. Cook paste 2 minutes until brick-red color, stirring constantly. Deglaze: Add 1 cup (240ml) dry white wine (preferably Verdicchio). Scrape bottom vigorously with wooden spoon to release fond. Simmer until reduced by half. Add Aromatics: Add 4 crushed garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 4 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 strips lemon zest (peeled with vegetable peeler). Build Braising Liquid: Add 2 cups (480ml) beef stock and 1 cup (240ml) chicken stock. Bring to simmer. Return Shanks: Nestle shanks into liquid in single layer. Liquid should come 3/4 up sides of meat. Oven Braising: Cover tightly with foil, then lid. Transfer to preheated 160°C/325°F oven. Braise for 2 hours. Check Doneness: After 2 hours, insert paring knife into meat near bone. Should meet no resistance. If not tender, continue 30-minute increments. Remove Shanks: Carefully transfer shanks to plate using slotted spoon. Cover loosely with foil. Reduce Sauce: Place Dutch oven on stove over medium heat. Simmer sauce 10-15 minutes until thickened to coating consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Serve: Remove twine from shanks. Place each shank in shallow bowl. Spoon sauce over. Top with gremolata (mix of 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 2 minced garlic cloves, zest of 1 lemon). Key Point: The marrow is considered the delicacy. Provide marrow spoons for guests to extract.

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