Rick Moonen, chef of the since-closed RM Seafood in Las Vegas, gave us his mother’s famous recipe for Italian osso buco—fall-off-the-bone veal shanks braised in white wine. Serve them with mashed potatoes to soak up their rich pan gravy.
Featured in the January/February 2011 issue.
Yield: 6
Cook Time: 3 hours
Ingredients
- 6 cross-cut veal shanks (1½ in. thick and 8–10 oz. each), tied tightly around the equator with twine
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 5 thyme sprigs
- 3 parsley sprigs plus ⅓ cup finely chopped parsley leaves, divided
- 3 cups dry white wine
- 1 cup veal stock, or beef stock (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
- 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Instructions
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Pat the veal shanks dry with paper towels and season with salt and black pepper. Place the flour on a large, shallow plate. Dredge the shanks in the flour, shaking off any excess, and transfer to a separate plate. To a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, add the oil. When it’s hot and shimmering, working in two batches, add the shanks and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a clean plate.
- To the empty pot, add the butter, carrots, celery, and onions and cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any browned bits, until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Using twine, tie together thyme and parsley sprigs, then add to the pot along with the wine, veal stock (or 1 cup water), bay leaves, and reserved veal and any accumulated juices. Bring to a simmer, season with salt and black pepper, and cover.
- Bake until the meat flakes easily when pierced with a fork and is nearly falling off the bone, about 1½ hours. Using a spider skimmer, transfer the shanks to a plate and tent with foil. Discard the herb bundle and bay leaves. Place the pot over medium heat and boil until the liquid is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Slide the veal shanks back into the pot, spoon with the sauce, and cover to keep warm.
- In a small bowl, toss together the chopped parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. Sprinkle half of the parsley mixture over the veal shanks and serve, passing the remaining parsley mixture on the side.
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