Pennys Osso Buco Food

OSSO BUCO

Steps:

• Place the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and cloves into cheesecloth and secure with twine. This will be your bouquet garni.
• For the veal shanks, pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Veal shanks will brown better when they are dry. Secure the meat to the bone with the kitchen twine. Season each shank with salt and freshly ground pepper. Dredge the shanks in flour, shaking off excess.
• In a large Dutch oven pot, heat vegetable oil until smoking. Add tied veal shanks to the hot pan and brown all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove browned shanks and reserve.
• In the same pot, add the onion, carrot and celery. Season with salt at this point to help draw out the moisture from the vegetables. Saute until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Return browned shanks to the pan and add the white wine and reduce liquid by half, about 5 minutes. Add the bouquet garni and 2 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Check every 15 minutes, turning shanks and adding more chicken stock as necessary. The level of cooking liquid should always be about 3/4 the way up the shank.
• Carefully remove the cooked shanks from the pot and place in decorative serving platter. Cut off the kitchen twine and discard.
• Remove and discard bouquet garni from the pot.
• Pour all the juices and sauce from the pot over the shanks. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon zest.

OSSO BUCO GIAN TONY'S

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge veal shanks in flour. When oil is smoking, add shanks to Dutch oven and brown, turning frequently, about 7 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add carrots, onion, celery, canned tomatoes and 4 cups stock. Cover and let simmer about 45 minutes. Add the wine, the diced tomatoes and some of the remaining stock. Place in preheated 375 degree oven for about 45 more minutes, or until tender. Check for seasoning.

PENNY'S OSSO BUCO

Steps:

• Bring the shanks to room temperature or remove from the refrigerator at least one hour prior to working with them.
• Mix the flour and thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
• Dredge the shanks in the flour, very lightly, you don't want to use all this flour.
• In a very large pot (large enough to hold all the shanks in one layer, my osso buco pot will hold 10 shanks in one layer with 2 on their sides) dutch oven heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan and sear the shanks on all sides over medium heat.
• Remove the shanks and (you might need a little more olive oil at this point) add the onions, carrots, celery, and saute until soft, still over medium heat.
• Add the wine and stir up all the little bits on the bottom of the pan.
• Continue simmering the wine, lower the heat a bit, until reduced in half.
• Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, garlic, tomato paste, parsley, chicken broth and stir until well incorporated.
• Season with salt and pepper and return the shanks to the pot.
• Cover and simmer on low heat for about 3 hours, checking occasionally to stir and make sure there is nothing sticking to the bottom and also turn each shank every hour or so to make sure the meat is somewhat being cooked in the sauce.
• This can be removed from the heat, brought to room temp and then put in the refrigerator for 1-3 days before continuing.
• When the meat is very, very tender and falling off the bone, it's ready.
• Plate up some pasta, mashed potatoes,or polenta and top with a shank per person, with lots of sauce.
• Mix the lemon zest, garlic and parsley and top each serving or pass at the table with some freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano.

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).

EASY OSSO BUCO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pat the veal dry with paper towels to ensure even browning. Secure the meat to the bone with kitchen twine. Season the veal with 1 1/2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper. Dredge the veal in the flour to coat the cut sides lightly.
• In a heavy roasting pan large enough to fit the veal in a single layer, heat the oil over a medium flame until hot. Add the veal and cook until brown on both sides, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer the veal to a plate and reserve.
• In the same pan, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt to help draw out the moisture from the vegetables. Sauté until the onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Return the veal to the pan. Add enough chicken broth to come two thirds of the way up the sides of the veal. Add the herb sprigs, bay leaf, and cloves to the broth mixture. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Cover the pan with foil and transfer to the oven. Braise until the veal is fork-tender, turning the veal every 30 minutes, about 1 1/2 hours total.
• Carefully remove the cooked veal from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut off the twine and discard. Tent the veal with foil to keep warm.
• Place a large sieve over a large bowl. Carefully pour the cooking liquid and vegetables into the sieve, pressing on the solids to release as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids and return the sauce to the pan. Gently place the veal back into the strained sauce. Bring just to a simmer. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste. (The osso buco can be prepared to this point up to 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Keep covered and rewarm in a 350 degree F oven until the veal is heated through, about 25 minutes.) Place one veal shank on each plate and spoon the sauce over. Garnish with the parsley and serve.

VEAL OSSO BUCO

Steps:

• 1. Lay the veal shanks in a shallow baking pan and sprinkle liberally on both sides with salt. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• 2. Rinse the veal shanks of their salt and pat dry with paper towels. Wrap each veal shank once around the circumference so that it holds the bone and meat together in the center. Tie the twine with a good knot. Season the veal shanks with pepper.
• 3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 4. Heat a large, ovenproof casserole over high heat. Put the oil into the casserole and let it heat.
• 5. Meanwhile, put the flour in a shallow bowl, dredge the veal shanks in it, and pat off the excess. Brown the veal shanks in the hot oil for about 5 minutes on each side, or until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. If the oil turns dark during the process, discard it and heat a fresh cup of oil.
• 6. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the pan and cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook for about 2 minutes, or until reduced by half.
• 7. Add the stocks, tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf to the pan. Return the veal shanks to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the liquid boils, cover, transfer to the oven, and cook for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender and falling off the bones.
• 8. Remove the herbs from the braising liquid and discard. Let the veal shanks come to room temperature in the braising liquid. Remove the veal shanks and set aside. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or chinois into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until reduced by a quarter. Using a skimmer or large spoon, skim off any grease or foam that rises to the surface. Return the strained vegetables to the liquid and taste for seasoning.
• 9. To serve, cut and discard the twine, put a single osso buco (veal shank) in a bowl, and ladle about 3/4 cup of the sauce and vegetables over it. (If the sauce and the meat are not still warm, heat them together very gently over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes.)
• 10. Garnish each osso buco with the fresh horseradish, lemon zest, and chopped parsley and season with pepper.