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Marcella Hazan's Ossobuco in Bianco

“Marcella Hazan is a national treasure…No one has ever done
more to spread the gospel of pure Italian cookery in America.”
~ Craig Claiborne

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Ossobuco in Bianco -
Tomato-Less Braised Veal Shanks


Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
by Marcella Hazan, 1992, A Borzoi Book, 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 follow-
ing 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 non 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 table-
spoon 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 reducing 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 tablespoons water.
 

Featured Archive Recipes:
Marcella Hazan's Ossobuco Milanese Style
Osso Buco with Mushroom Sauce 
Braised Veal Shanks with Tomato, White Beans and Basil
Veal Braised in the Old-Fashioned Way
Le Caméléon's Braised Veal with Fresh Pasta
 

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