Braised Veal Shank (Osso Buco)

veal or beef shanks	2, cross cut 1 1/2 to 2 in thick
string	2 pieces 1 ft long
salt	1/2 t, to taste
black pepper	1/2 t, to taste
flour	1/2 c, as required
olive oil	2 T
yellow onion	1/2 c
carrot	1/4 c
celery	1/4 c
shallot or garlic	1 clove
butter	2 T, to taste
thyme	1/4 t
bay leaf	1 whole
petite sirah or other dry wine	3/4 c, to taste
beef stock	1 c, as required
balsamic vinegar	2 t (optional)
tomato paste	1 T (optional)
basil	1/4 t (optional)

Osso buco, meaning “hollow bone”, is usually made with veal shanks and a dry white wine. With long and careful cooking and a flavorful dry red wine, like petite sirah, an excellent dish can be made with beef shanks. The object of prolonged cooking at lower temperatures is to tenderize the meat and convert the otherwise tough connective tissue to edible gelatin. In prehistoric times bone marrow may have been a primary source of human nutrition, but it is not popular in American cuisine, probably because of its grainy, fatty texture and neutral flavor. A little balsamic vinegar can be used to improve the palatability of the marrow.

Wash the shanks, cut the outer band of connecting tissue so that when it cooks and shrinks it will not distort the cut, and tie around the shanks with string so they will not fall apart after the long cooking. Season the shanks with salt and pepper and coat them with flour. Add the olive oil to a preheated heavy skillet and brown the shanks thoroughly on all sides.

Finely chop the onion, carrot, celery and shallot. In a heavy casserole or pot with a tight fitting cover melt the butter and sauté the vegetables until lightly colored. If garlic is used instead of shallots, add it to the other vegetables when they are well sautéed, and do not allow the garlic to brown. Place the browned shanks on top of the vegetables, add 1/4 c of the wine and bring to a vigorous boil. In a separate, small pot maintain the beef stock at a simmer. After a few minutes break the bay leaf in half and add it and the thyme to the shanks. Add enough beef stock to cover about half the shanks, cover and maintain at a low simmer. Turn and braise the shanks every 20 to 30 minutes adding more hot stock as required. When turning use a spatula to avoid letting the marrow slip out of the bone. After turning and braising for the last time, carefully ladle about 1 t of balsamic vinegar onto the marrow of each shank.

When the meat is tender and falling away from the bone, after about 2 hours for beef and 1 1/4 hour for veal, carefully move the shanks to a platter using tongs and a spatula and remove the string. If desired the shanks can be browned by roasting in a 450°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Otherwise, they should be kept warm while the sauce is finished. Deglaze the vegetables and braising liquid with the remaining 1/2 cup of wine. Add the tomato paste and basil if desired, and cook over high heat to reduce the liquid. Pour the vegetables and liquid into a fine mesh sieve over a sauce pan, and mash the vegetables down to extract all the juice. Reheat the sauce, season to taste, possibly adding small amounts of butter or wine, and serve over the shanks. Small spoons should be provided for the marrow. This dish is usually accompanied with risotto alla milanese, saffron rice.

This recipe was developed from a number of sources including Don Lisander Ristorante in Milan which prepared the epitome of this dish for me and, JW’s at the Marriott Hotel in Anaheim, California, which showed that a good wine is capable of saving this dish when almost all else fails.

Recipe from An Eclectic Cookbook (Copyright © 1987, John S. Garavelli), page 6–10.