Veal Shank Recipes

VEAL SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour, salt and pepper. Add veal, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. In an ovenproof Dutch oven, brown meat in oil in batches on all sides; drain., In a large skillet, saute the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in butter until tender. Return veal to the Dutch oven; top with vegetable mixture. Add tomatoes, broth, basil, thyme and bay leaves., Cover and bake 2 to 2-1/4 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaves. Just before serving, combine garnish ingredients; sprinkle over veal. Freeze option: Place individual portions to cooled meat and cooking juices in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth if necessary.

BRAISED VEAL SHANKS, MILAN STYLE

Steps:

• Trim excess fat from veal shanks. Coat veal with flour. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook veal in oil about 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides; drain.
• Place veal in 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over veal.
• Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until veal is very tender and pulls away from bones.
• Remove veal and vegetables from cooker, using slotted spoon; place on serving platter. Skim fat from veal juices in cooker if desired. Pour juices over veal and vegetables.

OSSO BUCO

Steps:

• Place the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and cloves into cheesecloth and secure with twine. This will be your bouquet garni.
• For the veal shanks, pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Veal shanks will brown better when they are dry. Secure the meat to the bone with the kitchen twine. Season each shank with salt and freshly ground pepper. Dredge the shanks in flour, shaking off excess.
• In a large Dutch oven pot, heat vegetable oil until smoking. Add tied veal shanks to the hot pan and brown all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove browned shanks and reserve.
• In the same pot, add the onion, carrot and celery. Season with salt at this point to help draw out the moisture from the vegetables. Saute until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Return browned shanks to the pan and add the white wine and reduce liquid by half, about 5 minutes. Add the bouquet garni and 2 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Check every 15 minutes, turning shanks and adding more chicken stock as necessary. The level of cooking liquid should always be about 3/4 the way up the shank.
• Carefully remove the cooked shanks from the pot and place in decorative serving platter. Cut off the kitchen twine and discard.
• Remove and discard bouquet garni from the pot.
• Pour all the juices and sauce from the pot over the shanks. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon zest.

VEAL SHANK FRICASSEE

Steps:

• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour and seasonings. Add veal shanks; seal and turn to coat. , In a Dutch oven or large skillet, brown veal in oil over medium heat. Pour 1-1/4 cups water into pan; add the onion, celery and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour., Add carrots and potatoes; cover and cook 30 minutes longer or until meat and vegetables are tender. Remove meat and vegetables to a serving platter and keep warm. Pour drippings and loosened browned bits into a measuring cup. Skim fat and discard bay leaf., In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and the remaining water until smooth. Gradually stir in the drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with meat and vegetables.

VEAL SHANK PAPRIKASH

Steps:

• Prepare the veal: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until most of the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika, then add the wine and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth; transfer the mixture to a large baking dish.
• Pat the veal dry; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Wipe out the skillet, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat. Cook the veal in 2 batches until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side, adding the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil between batches. Transfer the veal to the baking dish, cover with foil and bake until tender, 2 hours to 2 hours, 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables: Heat the sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until the sugar melts. Add the cipollini onions and cook, tossing, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine, 1/4cup water and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, partially covered, until tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until glazed, about 5 more minutes.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the parsley, dill and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
• Transfer the veal to an ovenproof platter, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven (turn the oven off). Strain the liquid from the baking dish, discarding the solids. Skim off 1 tablespoon fat from the strained liquid; transfer the fat to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk in the liquid and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the veal and serve with the mushrooms and onions

TRADITIONAL OSSO BUCO

Steps:

• Dust the veal shanks lightly with flour. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the veal, and cook until browned on the outside. Remove to a bowl, and keep warm. Add two cloves of crushed garlic and onion to the skillet; cook and stir until onion is tender. Return the veal to the pan and mix in the carrot and wine. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Pour in the tomatoes and beef stock, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, basting the veal every 15 minutes or so. The meat should be tender, but not falling off the bone.
• In a small bowl, mix together the parsley, 1 clove of garlic and lemon zest. Sprinkle the gremolata over the veal just before serving.

BRAISED VEAL SHANKS

Steps:

• Make shanks:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Pat shanks dry. Stir together flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper on a sheet of wax paper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. While oil heats, dredge 4 shanks in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Brown shanks in oil on all sides, turning with tongs, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large (17- by 12- by 2-inch) roasting pan. Add 2 tablespoons oil to skillet and repeat with remaining 4 shanks. Discard remaining flour mixture.
• Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook onion, garlic, anchovies, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add wine and boil, scraping up any brown bits, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, water, zest strips, and remaining teaspoon salt and bring to a boil, then pour mixture over shanks. Tightly cover pan with foil and braise in oven 1 hour. Turn shanks over, cover, and continue to braise until meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours more.
• Remove from oven and skim fat from surface of sauce, then transfer shanks and sauce to a large platter. Discard bay leaves.
• Make gremolata:
• Stir together parsley, grated zests, and garlic and sprinkle over shanks.

BRAISED VEAL SHANKS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat oven to 325 F. If not already done by butcher, tie a single strand of kitchen twine around meat to hold it to the bone during cooking.
• Coat shanks with flour and shake off excess.
• In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or casserole (with a lid) large enough to hold meat in a single layer, heat butter and oil over medium heat.
• Brown shanks on tops and bottoms for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
• Remove shanks to a plate.
• Add onion and garlic to pot and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, or until onion is softened.
• Add wine, salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a gentle boil, scraping up browned bits on the bottom of the casserole.
• Remove from heat and arrange meat in a single layer, cut-side up, in casserole. Spoon a little of the liquid over top of meat.
• Cover (if lid does not cover tightly, cover first with foil, then with lid) and bake for 2 hours, or until meat is very tender.
• Optional: While shanks are cooking, make gremolata. Mix parsley, lemon zest, and garlic in a small bowl.
• Remove pot from oven and carefully lift shanks from cooking liquid to serving platter. Skim and discard fat from liquid, then spoon cooking liquid around shanks.
• Sprinkle gremolata over shanks. Insert rosemary sprigs in the marrow of each shank, if desired.

BRAISED VEAL SHANKS

Steps:

• Make stew:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350°F.
• Bring demiglace to a simmer in a 1-quart saucepan over moderate heat. Remove from heat and keep warm, partially covered.
• Pat shanks dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge shanks in flour to coat, shaking off excess. Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart wide heavy ovenproof pot over moderately high heat until just smoking, then brown shanks on all sides, about 10 minutes total, and transfer with tongs to a plate. Add butter to pot and heat until foam subsides, then sauté onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 9 minutes.
• Add wine, scraping up any brown bits, then add warm demiglace, tomatoes, and bay leaf. Return shanks (with any juices accumulated on plate) to pot and bring liquid to a boil, then cover pot and braise shanks in oven until meat is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Carefully transfer shanks with a slotted spoon to a clean plate and keep warm, loosely covered with foil. Skim fat from sauce, then simmer, uncovered, on top of stove, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper and add shanks, then cook over low heat until heated through. (Discard strings and bay leaf before serving.)
• Make gremolata:
• Stir together parsley, zest, rosemary, and thyme and sprinkle over osso buco just before serving.
• *Available at specialty foods shops and cooking.com.

WHOLE BRAISED VEAL SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• On a cutting board, use the side of your chef's knife to smash together the chopped garlic and the rosemary to make a coarse paste. Cut several deep holes in the veal shanks with a paring knife-really stab them! Using your index finger, stuff the holes with the rosemary-garlic mixture; this will perfume the shanks with a beautiful aroma while they braise.
• Season the shanks generously with salt. Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and bring to high heat. Add the shanks to the pan and brown well on all sides; this may take up to 20 minutes. Don't skimp on this step-this is where the big, rich, brown flavors start to develop, so take your time!
• While the shanks are browning, put the onions, carrots, celery, apples, and the remaining 3 cloves of smashed garlic in a food processor and purée to a coarse paste; reserve.
• When the shanks are very brown, transfer them to a roasting pan. Ditch the fat, add a bit of fresh olive oil, and add the puréed veggies and apples to the sauté pan. Season generously with salt and cook until the mixture is very brown and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Again, don't skimp here-you want the veggies to form a crust on the bottom of the pan. This is where more of that lovely brown flavor develops, so take your time.
• Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until it starts to brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the wine, bring it to a boil (BTB), and stir frequently until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Then transfer everything to the roasting pan with the shanks. Add about 1/2 cup water to the sauté pan to help release any of that good crud stuck to the bottom, then add it to the roasting pan.
• Add 4 to 5 more cups water to the roasting pan and stir to combine; the mix should be pretty soupy. Taste and add more salt if needed, then toss in the bay leaves and the thyme bundle.
• Put the pan in the oven and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning the shanks every 30 minutes, stirring and adding more water if the liquid reduces too much. If the shanks brown too much during the cooking time, tent the pan with aluminum foil. When the shanks are done they should be incredibly tender and flavorful.