Oh-so Buco

All amped up to get down and dirty with the organ meats, I went to the farmers market to buy a tongue--a beef tongue, to be specific--but they had just sold the last one. Which led to two reactions: the first was disappointment, and the second was satisfaction that people are, indeed, buying less common but affordable cuts of meat. Not quite disheartened but wondering what I'd make for my next post, I saw they had veal shanks on special and couldn't resist trying a recipe I always loved and never made: Osso Buco.

There is really nothing gamy or challenging about this dish, neither in the preparation nor the eating. It is tender veal, browned and braised with vegetables and finished with a fresh parsley and lemon zest. The prize is the succulent marrow, usually a scant teaspoonful, at the center of the bone. I eat it last, like a dessert, a perfect coda to a delicious meal.

The recipe (and I use the term lightly, because I never can seem to stick to one) goes like this:

3 veal shanks (mine were a 3/4 lb each)
1 small onion chopped
2 carrots chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup dry white wine (whatever you drink with dinner)
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes OR 1 T tomato paste
1 dry bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
3 T fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
1-2 T lemon zest
1 cup all purpose flour for dredging
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a heavy pot (dutch oven is best) on high. Pat veal shanks dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper them, then dredge and shake off excess flour. When vegetable oil is just smoking, brown shanks on all sides, roughly 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and reserve for later.



In the same pot, add carrot, celery, and onion and season with salt. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste/tomatoes, wine, chicken stock, bay leaf and thyme. Add veal and bring back to the boil, then reduce to simmer and cover. Let simmer for about an hour and a half, checking periodically to flip shanks so the top doesn't dry out. The meat should fall away from the bone. Serve over rice and finish with a scattering of parsley and lemon zest. Serve with a crisp green salad.