Braised Veal Cheeks With Grilled Ramps And Porcini Food

BRAISED VEAL WITH GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Pour boiling water over porcini in a bowl and let stand until softened, 10 to 20 minutes. Lift out porcini, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl, and rinse to remove any grit. Pour soaking liquid through a sieve lined with a dampened paper towel into another bowl. Chop porcini and reserve for polenta.
• Pat veal dry and cut 20 (1 1/2-inch-deep) slits all over with a thin-bladed knife. Stuff each slit with a slice of garlic, then season veal with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown veal on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add wine and deglaze pot by boiling over high heat (keep veal in pot), stirring and scraping up brown bits, until wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in porcini-soaking liquid and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently, covered, turning veal every 30 minutes, until meat is tender, about 2 hours. Transfer veal to a cutting board and cool completely.
• Skim any fat and froth from surface of pan juices, then boil until reduced to about 2 cups. Pour through a very fine sieve into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir dissolved potato starch, then whisk into pan juices. Simmer sauce until slightly thickened.
• Make gremolata:
• Stir together gremolata ingredients.
• Stir half of gremolata into sauce and season with salt and pepper. Chill remaining gremolata, covered.
• Heat and serve veal:
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Remove strings from veal and cut meat across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Overlap slices in a 13- by 9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish and pour sauce over meat. Cover dish with foil and heat in middle of oven 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle with remaining gremolata.

MILAN-STYLE BRAISED VEAL SHANKS

Steps:

• Tie kitchen twine around circumference of each veal shank so that veal will hold shape while cooking. Set heavy large pot over medium heat (pot should be big enough to accommodate veal arranged in single layer). Add 1/4 cup butter to pot and melt. Add onions, carrot and 2 1/2 teaspoons garlic and sauté until vegetables are tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
• Sprinkle veal shanks with salt and pepper. Coat veal with flour, shaking off excess. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add veal to skillet and cook until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer veal to pot with vegetables. Discard fat in skillet.
• Add 1 cup white wine to skillet and boil until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, scraping up browned bits, about 3 minutes. Pour over veal and vegetables. Add canned tomatoes with juices, 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped basil and lemon peel strips to pot. Add enough beef broth to cover veal. Bring mixture to boil. Cover pot tightly with aluminum foil, then lid. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until veal is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before continuing.)
• Transfer veal to platter; cover to keep warm. Boil sauce until slightly thickened and reduced to 4 cups, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix grated lemon peel, remaining 1 teaspoon garlic and 2 tablespoons parsley in small bowl. Pour sauce over veal. Sprinkle with lemon peel mixture.

BRAISED VEAL SHANKS WITH PORCINI AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Place porcini in bowl. Pour water over; let stand until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Chop porcini.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, rosemary and bay leaves; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add fresh and dried mushrooms and potatoes; cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Season veal with salt and pepper. Coat with flour. Add to skillet; brown well, about 4 minutes per side. Place atop vegetables in Dutch oven. Add wine to skillet; bring to boil, stirring up any browned bits. Boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add to Dutch oven. Add porcini soaking liquid, leaving any sediment behind. Add broth and juice. Bring to boil. Cover, place in oven and bake until veal is tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Uncover stew; cook over medium-high heat until liquid is thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaves. Add peas; cook until heated through.
• Mix parsley and lemon peel in bowl. Top stew with parsley mixture and serve.

BRAISED VEAL CHEEKS WITH COCONUT RISOTTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Season the veal cheeks with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and then add enough oil to lightly coat the skillet. Let the oil heat, and then add the veal to the pan, and sear it on all sides until browned.
• In a Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, cook the bacon slowly over low heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and ginger, and cook for 4 minutes. Add the wine, soy sauce, and pineapple skin, and bring to a boil. Add the veal stock, and return to a boil. Add the seared veal cheeks, and place pot in the oven to braise for 2 1/2 hours.
• Closer to serving time, make the risotto. In a medium saucepot, sweat the remaining diced onion in 2 to 3 tablespoons butter for 2 minutes over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low. Add the risotto rice, and stir with a wooden spoon to coat it in the butter. Slowly add the chicken broth in 2 equal additions, not adding the second addition until the first has been almost completely absorbed. Stir constantly during the entire process. After all of the chicken broth has been absorbed, add the coconut milk, and then add enough of the braising liquid until the risotto is cooked to your taste. Fold in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, papaya, tomato, and herbs. Serve immediately.
• Place the risotto in the center of a plate and place 2 veal cheeks on top. Garnish parsnip chips or fried shallots, if desired.

BRAISED VEAL SHOULDER

Steps:

• Dry rub veal shoulder with spices and let sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat butter in roasting pan over medium heat. Add veal shoulder and brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Add vegetables and cook until tender. Add flour to make roux. Whisk in your liquid and add veal shoulder. Bring to simmer on top of stove and cover with foil. Cook in the oven for 3 hours.
• Remove veal and puree sauce until smooth. Slice veal and coat with sauce to serve.

BRAISED VEAL CHEEKS WITH GRILLED RAMPS AND PORCINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Season the cheeks liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Using 2 sauté pans to avoid crowding, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in each pan over high heat. Sear the veal cheeks for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until caramelized.
• Transfer to a braising dish. Divide the carrots, garlic, and onion between the pans and sauté just until they get a hint of color, 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze the pans with the wine and empty the vegetables and the wine into the braising dish with the meat. Add the water and bay leaves. Cover the dish with foil or a heavy, tight-fitting lid and braise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until meltingly tender.
• Transfer the veal cheeks to a plate and strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a brisk simmer. Reduce the braising liquid until it becomes a syrupy glaze and measures 1/2 cup. Add the veal cheeks to the pan and warm through in the liquid. Place 2 cheeks on each of 4 plates and spoon the remaining glaze over the top. Serve with the Grilled Ramps and Porcini.
• Preheat the grill on high or light a hot charcoal fire. Rub the ramps and mushrooms with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay a piece of foil down on half of the grill. Place the ramps on the grill with the tops resting on top of the foil, the bulbs on the grate. Place the mushrooms, cut-side down, directly on the grill. Grill, turning frequently, until tender and browned in spots. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with the veal cheeks.