Braised Veal Shanks With Green Olives And Capers Recipes

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.

OSSO BUCO (ITALIAN BRAISED VEAL SHANKS) RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Season veal shanks all over with salt and pepper. If you have butcher's twine, you can tie a length of it tightly around the circumference of each shank; this can help them hold their shape during cooking, but is not absolutely necessary.
• Add butter to Dutch oven, along with onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until vegetables are softened and just starting to turn a light golden color, about 6 minutes.
• Prepare a parchment paper lid following these instructions . Cover shanks with parchment lid and transfer to oven. Cook for 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, for the Gremolata: In a small bowl, stir together parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. Set aside.
• Carefully transfer shanks to a platter. (Using a spatula and tongs together can help prevent them from falling apart.) Using a spoon, carefully scrape off any excess fat on surface of braising juices. The liquid should be saucy and thick; you can adjust the consistency by adding either water or stock to thin the sauce, or simmering it on the stovetop until more fully reduced. Discard thyme and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
• Remove twine from shanks, if used. Serve shanks on plates, spooning braising sauce on top and passing remaining gremolata at the table for diners to sprinkle as a garnish to their own taste; make sure to offer small spoons for scooping out marrow from bones. Osso buco is traditionally served with Risotto alla Milanese .

BRAISED VEAL SHANKS WITH GREEN OLIVES AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Make Braised Veal Shanks:
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Pit 1/4 cup olives and chop fine. Lightly crush remaining 1/2 cup olives with side of a large knife.
• Pat veal shanks dry between paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge top and bottom (not side) of each shank in flour, knocking off excess. In a 12-inch heavy skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil and butter over moderately high heat until foam subsides and brown tops and bottoms of shanks in batches, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer shanks as browned to a flameproof roasting pan.
• Wipe out skillet and add remaining tablespoon oil. Heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook onion, stirring, until golden. Add garlic and anchovy and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add chopped olives, zest, capers, rosemary, and wine and boil 5 minutes. Add broth and crushed olives and bring to a boil.
• Pour broth mixture over shanks and cover tightly with foil. Braise shanks in oven 2 hours, or until meat is tender. Shanks may be prepared up to this point 2 days ahead and cooled, uncovered, before chilling, covered. Reheat shanks before proceeding.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• Transfer shanks with a slotted spoon to another roasting pan or deep oven proof platter and keep warm, covered, in oven. Strain cooking liquid through a sieve into a 1-quart glass measuring cup and reserve solids, discarding zest. Let liquid stand until fat rises to top and skim and discard fat. (There should be about 1 1/2 cups liquid. If necessary, in a saucepan boil liquid until it is reduced.) Add reserved solids to liquid and pour over shanks.
• Serve shanks sprinkled with gremolata and garnished with caper berries.
• Make Gremolata:
• In a small bowl toss all ingredients together well. Makes about 1/3 cup.

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.