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La Belle Cuisine
Ossobuco in Bianco -
Tomato-Less Braised Veal Shanks
Essentials of
Classic Italian Cooking
by Marcella Hazan, 1993, Alfred A. Knopf
 
“Ossobuco, ‘oss bus’ in Milan’s dialect, means ‘bone
with a hole.’
The particular bone in question is that of a calf’s hind
shank, and
the ring of meat that circles
it is the sweetest and most tender
on the
entire animal. To be sure that it is as meltingly tender on the plate
as Nature had intended, be guided by the following suggestions:
-
Insist that the shank come from the meatier hind leg only. If you are
buying it in a supermarket and are in doubt, look for one of the butchers
who is usually on hand during the day, and ask him.
-
Have the ossobuco cut no thicker than 1 1/2 inches. It is the size at
which it cooks best. Thick Ossobuco, however impressive it looks on the
plate, rarely cooks long and slowly enough, and it usually ends up being
chewy and stringy.
-
Make sure the butcher does not remove the skin enveloping the shanks. It
not only helps to hold the ossobuco together while it cooks, but its
creamy consistency makes a delectable contribution to the final flavor of
the dish.
-
Be prepared to give ossobuco time enough to cook. Slow, patient cooking
is
essential if you want to protect the shank’s natural juiciness.
Note: When you are buying a whole shank, ask the butcher to saw off both
ends
for you. You don’t want them in the ossobuco because they don’t have
much
meat, but they make a splendid addition to the assorted components
of a
homemade
meat broth.
“The light-handed and delicately fragrant ossobuco
of this recipe is quite
different from the robust Milanese version. The
tomato and vegetables
and
herbs of the traditional preparation are absent,
and it is cooked in
the slow
Italian pan-roasted style, entirely on top of
the stove."
For 6 to 8
servings
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
Eight 1 1/2-inch-thick slices of veal hind
shank,
each tied tightly
around the middle
Flour, spread on a plate
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon peel with none
of the white pith
beneath it,
chopped
very fine
5 tablespoons chopped parsley
1. Choose a large sauté pan than can subsequently accommodate
all the shanks snugly without overlapping. (If you do not have a single pan
that broad, use two, dividing the butter and oil in half, then adding 1
tablespoon
of each for each pan.) Put in the oil and butter, and turn
on the
heat to
medium high. When the butter foam begins to subside,
turn the
shanks in
the flour, coating them on both sides, shake off
the excess
flour, and slip
them into the pan.
2. Brown the meat deeply on both sides, then sprinkle with salt and
several
grindings of pepper, turn the shanks, and add the wine.
Adjust heat to cook
at a very slow simmer, and cover the pan,
setting the lid slightly ajar.
3. After 10 minutes or so, look into the pan to see if the liquid has
become
insufficient to continue cooking. If, as is likely, this is
the case, add
1/3
cup warm water. Check the pan from time to
time, and add more water
as
needed. The total cooking time will
come to 2 or 2 1/2 hours: The
shanks
are done when the meat
comes easily away from the bone and
is tender enough
to be cut
with a fork. When done, transfer the veal to
a warm plate, using
a
slotted spoon or spatula.
4. Add the chopped lemon peel and parsley to the pan, turn the heat
up to
medium, and stir for about 1 minute with a wooden spoon,
loosening
cooking
residues from the bottom and sides, and reduc-
ing any runny
juices in the
pan. Return the shanks to the pan, turn
them briefly in
the juices, then
transfer the entire contents of the
pan to a warm
platter and serve at once.
Ahead-of-time note: The light, fragrant flavor of this particular
ossobuco
does
not withstand refrigeration well, so it is not advisable to
prepare it
very long in
advance. It can certainly be made early on the day
it is to
be served; reheat it in
the pan it was cooked in, covered, over low
heat,
for 10 or 15 minutes until the
meat is warmed all the way through. If
the juices in the pan become insufficient,
replenish with 1 or 2 table-
spoons
water.
Featured
Archive Recipes:
Marcella's Ossobuco Milanese Style
Braised Veal with Fresh Pasta
Braised Veal Shanks with Tomato,
White Beans and Basil
Osso Buco
with Mushroom Sauce
Rosemary Braised Veal Shank
(Daniel Boulud)
Veal Braised in the Old-Fashioned Way
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