Osso Buco Milanese Food

OSSOBUCCO

Steps:

• Soak the porcini for at least 15 minutes in 200ml/7fl oz boiling water. Don't remove the membrane that holds the veal together, but trim off any obviously fatty or lumpy bits. Dust both sides of the meat with the seasoned flour.
• Heat the butter and oil in a very large flameproof sauté pan or casserole over a medium-high heat. When the sizzling stops, put in the veal and fry the slices for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer the meat to a plate.
• Replace the pan over a low to medium heat and tip in the carrot and celery. Gently fry for 5 minutes until the vegetables have slightly softened, then raise the heat and pour in the wine. Bubble the wine furiously for 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
• Fish the softened porcini out of the soaking liquid, squeeze out the excess moisture and reserve it. Chop the porcini roughly and add to the sauté pan, together with the soaking liquid. Add the sugocasa or passata and stock, then stir.
• Put the veal back into the pan in a single layer, cover and bring to the boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer very gently for 2 hours, turning the veal slices halfway, until the meat is very soft. The liquid should reduce to a thickish sauce, but if it's still thin after 1¼ -1½ hours, half remove the lid to allow evaporation. Serve with the grain 'risotto' (see link, right).

OSSOBUCO ALLA MILANESE

Steps:

• Slit the skin around the veal shanks in 2 or 3 places so that slices do not curl when cooked. Dust veal shanks with flour.
• Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add veal shanks; cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Pour in white wine and simmer until reduced, about 5 minutes.
• Stir tomato puree, salt, and pepper into the skillet. Pour in beef stock gradually, stirring between each addition. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, turning veal shanks occasionally, until tender, about 55 minutes.
• Mix parsley and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Stir into the skillet. Cook until flavors combine, about 5 minutes.

OSSO BUCO MILANESE

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt and pepper in a plastic bag.
• Add veal shanks and coat with flour mixture.
• Heat oil in a large skillet and brown veal on both sides.
• Remove veal from skillet, reduce heat and add butter, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves, marjoram, basil, parsley and lemon rind.
• Saute for 5 minutes.
• Add wine and continue cooking for 5 minute more.
• Stir in tomatoes and broth.
• Place veal in a casserole with the sauce and bake, covered, at 325 for 2 hours.
• Garnish with gremolata.

OSSO BUCO MILANESE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• 2. Season the veal shanks generously with salt and pepper. Dredge the shanks in flour and shake away any excess.
• 3. Heat the oil in an ovenproof casserole or Dutch oven over high heat until it shimmers. Sear the veal shanks in the oil, turning as necessary, until they have a good color on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove them to a platter and cover loosely with foil.
• 4. Add the onion, carrot, and 2 teaspoons minced garlic to the hot oil and sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste turns a rust color, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and stir well to dissolve the tomato paste.
• 5. Return the veal shanks to the casserole along with any juices they may have released and add enough broth to cover the shanks by about 1/2. Bring the broth to a simmer, cover the casserole, and place it in the oven. Braise the shanks, turning them as necessary to keep them evenly moistened, until they are very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the shanks to a serving platter and keep warm while finishing the sauce.
• 6. Strain the sauce, return it to the casserole, and bring it to a boil over high heat, skimming the surface as necessary. Reduce the heat to low simmer until the sauce has a lightly thickened consistency, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 7. Combine the remaining garlic, the lemon zest, parsley, and anchovy fillets to form the gremolata. Serve the shanks on heated plates garnished with the gremolata.

OSSO BUCO WITH RISOTTO MILANESE

Steps:

• To make the osso buco, sprinkle some plain flour onto a plate and lightly dust the veal pieces.
• Heat the oil in a large lidded casserole over a high heat and add the veal in a single layer. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly golden then remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
• Add the onion, carrot, leek, celery and garlic to the pan and fry over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until lightly golden. Add the thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns and a pinch of salt and mix well. Place the veal back on top of the vegetables in a single layer and pour over the wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, then add the stock and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
• Cover with a cartouche (a circle of baking paper) and a lid and simmer gently for 2 -3 hours, or until the meat is so tender that it falls off the bone easily.
• To make the risotto, heat the chicken stock in a large saucepan over a medium heat and keep warm.
• Heat the oil and butter in a medium sauté pan and fry the shallots for 2 -3 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes, then add the rice and saffron and stir well to coat the rice. Add the ehite wine and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Add the stock a ladle at a time, stirring constantly until all the liquid has been absorbed before adding another ladle. Continue until the rice is cooked, this should take about 15 -20 minutes. Add the Parmesan and butter to the risotto and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• To serve, mix the parsley, garlic, lemon zest, vinegar and oil together in a bowl.
• Divide the risotto between 4 plates and top with the veal pieces and a drizzle of the parsley dressing.

OSSO BUCO WITH RISOTTO MILANESE

Steps:

• For the osso buco: Sprinkle the veal with salt and pepper and heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Spread some flour on a plate, then dredge the veal in the flour on all sides and add to the oil. Brown well on both sides, 2 minutes a side. Remove to a plate.
• Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pot and cook, stirring, until the onion wilts, about 4 minutes. Stir in the rosemary and thyme. Add the white wine, increase the heat and boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth and bay leaves. Reduce the heat so that the liquid is simmering gently, and nestle in the veal. Add water, if necessary, to come three-quarters of the way up the sides of the meat. Cover and cook until the veal is tender and a paring knife inserted in the meat slides out easily (insert the knife in several pieces to make sure all are done), 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove the veal to a plate.
• Strain the sauce into a fat separator, pressing on the solids. Wipe out the Dutch oven. Pour the defatted sauce back into the Dutch oven and reduce over high heat until thickened and the sauce just coats the back of a spoon. Cut the strings on the osso buco and return the meat to the sauce. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm while you make the risotto.
• For the risotto Milanese: Combine the broth and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and add the saffron, then turn the heat very low to just keep warm. Heat a medium Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper; cook until softened but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the rice and cook, stirring, to coat the grains in the oil, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine, bring to a simmer and cook until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add enough of the hot broth to just cover the rice. Simmer, stirring occasionally until almost totally absorbed. Continue to add broth and stir until the rice is creamy and al dente, about 18 minutes from the first addition. (The risotto will be a bit soupy at this point.)
• Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter and Parmesan until melted and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
• For the gremolata: Combine the parsley, garlic and lemon zest in a small bowl.
• Spoon the risotto into 4 shallow wide bowls. Top each serving with a piece of osso buco and spoon the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the gremolata.

OSSOBUCO ALLA MILANESE

Steps:

• Veal shanks should be sawed into 8 pieces about 2" long.
• Can sub chicken or beef for veal stock.
• Just make sure that it's either homemade or low sodium.
• Spread flour on a plate or on waxed paper.
• Tomatoes should be with their juice.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Choose a heavy casserole with a tight fitting lid that is just large enough to contain the veal pieces.
• Use two casseroles if necessary.
• Put the onion, carrot, celery, and butter and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the vegetables soften and wilt.
• Add the chopped garlic and lemon peel at the end.
• Remove from the heat.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
• Turn the trussed pieces of veal in the flour, shaking off any excess.
• When the oil is quite hot (test it with the corner of one of the pieces of veal: a moderate sizzle means the heat is just right), brown the veal on all sides.
• (Brown the veal as soon as it has been dipped in flour, otherwise the flour may dampen, and the meat won't brown properly).
• Stand the pieces of veal side by side on top of the vegetables in the casserole.
• Tip the skillet and draw off nearly all the fat with a spoon.
• Add the wine and boil briskly for about 3 minutes, scraping up and loosening any browning residue stuck to the pan.
• Pour over the pieces of veal in the casserole.
• In the same skillet, bring the broth to a simmer and pour into the casserole.
• Add the chopped tomatoes with their juice, the thyme, basil, bay leaves, parsley, pepper and salt.
• (Hold off on salt until after cooking if you are using canned beef broth. It is sometimes very salty).
• The broth should come up to the top of the veal pieces.
• If it does not, add more.
• Bring the contents of the casserole to a simmer on top of the stove.
• Cover tightly and place in the lower third of the preheated oven.
• Cook for about 2 hours, carefully turning and basting the veal pieces every 20 minutes.
• When done, they should be very tender when pricked with a fork, and their sauce should be dense and creamy.
• (if, while the veal is cooking, there is not enough liquid in the casserole, you may add up to 1/3 cup of warm water).
• If the reverse is true, and the sauce is too thin when the veal is done, remove the meat to warm platter, place the uncovered casserole on top of the stove, and over high heat briskly boil the sauce until it thickens.
• Pour the sauce over the veal and serve piping hot.
• NOTE When transferring the veal pieces to the serving platter, carefully remove the trussing strings without breaking up the shanks.
• GREMOLADA Marcella recommends against making it, but if you must try it yourself, the ingredients are as follows: one teaspoon of grated lemon peel, 1/4 teaspoon very finely chopped garlic and 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley.
• Gremolada is sprinkled over the veal shanks just as they finish cooking.

OSSO BUCO MILANESE

Steps:

• In a large shallow platter, season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the veal shanks in the mixture and tap off any excess. In a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven, over medium flame, heat the oil and butter. Sear the shanks on all sides, turn bones on sides to hold in marrow. Add more oil and butter if needed. Remove the browned veal shanks and set aside.
• Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and parsley to the pan and cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high, add the wine and deglaze the pan. Return the shanks to the pan, add the stock and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Baste the meat a few times during cooking. Remove the cover, continue to simmer for 10 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.
• For gremolata: combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. Strew the gremolata over the osso buco before serving. Serve osso buco with Saffron Risotto.
• In a saucepan, bring chicken broth to a simmer. Keep warm over low heat.
• In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add oil and rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat each grain. When rice begins to make a crackling sound, add saffron threads. Add 1 cup of the warm chicken broth and cook, stirring, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Add the remaining broth, 1 cup at a time. Continue to stir, allowing the rice to absorb each addition of broth before adding more. Test the rice for doneness, it should be al dente but creamy. Remove risotto from heat, add grated cheese, salt and pepper. Serve at once with Osso Buco Milanese.
• Yield: 4 servings