Osso Buco (Braised Veal Shanks)

Directions

1. Preheat oven or outdoor cooker to 325°F
2. Make bouquet garni – place first four ingredients on a piece of cheesecloth, tie with kitchen twine.
3. Pat the shanks completely dry with paper towels so they will brown better.
4. Season on all sides with salt, pepper and about half of the Mediterranean-ish. Dredge each shank in flour, shake off excess.
5. In a large heavy dutch oven, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat. Brown the shanks on both sides. Try not to disturb much, let them get golden brown for the best flavor. If needed, brown the meat in batches to prevent overcrowding. If you over-crowd while browning, your meat will steam instead of browning. Remove browned meat and reserve.
6. Add onion, carrot and celery to the hot pan with that luscious fond. Season vegetables with salt, pepper and remaining Mediterranean-ish. Saute until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add tomato paste, cook while stirring for about 4 minutes.
7. Return the shanks to the pan and add wine. Cook until wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
8. Add the bouquet garni and 2 cups of chicken stock. The liquid in the pot should be about 3/4 of the way up the shank. You do not want the shanks completely covered in liquid! Bring just to a boil. Cover loosely and bake at 325°F for 2 hrs, checking halfway through to see if you need to add the remaining cup of chicken stock. You can turn the shanks when you check the stock level, but it’s not terribly important.
9. When you have finished braising, discard the bouquet garni. If you would like a thicker gravy, you can remove the meat (reserve and keep warm) while you reduce the liquid on the stove.
10. Combine chopped parsley with lemon zest. Sprinkle on before serving.