I started making this delicious Italian specialty dish when I worked with the wonderfully talented Italian Chef Alesandro Cortini. He was one of the most influential chefs I worked alongside of for all of the years I worked in restaurants. He was at one time the chef of the long gone LaPearla Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. Sandro and I worked together at an Italian Market with a gourmet-to-go section and it was there that he taught me a lot about the ins and outs of cooking Italian food for mass quantities of people. Since I am no longer cooking for large groups I’ve adapted my recipe to feed 4.
Serves 4
4 10 to 12 Ounce Veal Shanks
2 Tablespoons XVOO
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
Flour For Dredging Shanks
2 Teaspoons Coarse Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
6 Garlic Cloves
1 Medium Spanish or Vidalia Onion
4 Celery Stalks with Leaves
4 Large Carrots
1 Cup Good White Wine
Zest of One Large Orange
3 Cups Homemade Beef Stock, or Low Sodium Canned Beef Stock
1 Bouquet Garni Consisting of Several Sprigs Each of Fresh Thyme, Fresh Oregano, Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, 2 Bay Leaves
Preheat oven to 325°F with the rack in the lower third of the oven.
Pat the Veal Shanks dry and season with some of the salt and pepper. Tie butcher’s twine around the circumference of the shanks to help keep them from falling apart during cooking. Dredge the Shanks in the flour and shake off any excess.
In a large pot, such as a Dutch oven that will hold the Shanks in one layer without crowding, heat the XVOO and butter over medium high heat. When the butter stops foaming add the Veal Shanks and brown on all sides until a golden crust forms, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, add the garlic, onion, celery and carrots and process until the vegetables are finely chopped. Do this using the pulse button. You do not want to puree the vegetables or have a mushy consistency.
After you remove the Veal Shanks from the pan, check your XVOO-butter. If it is too brown and on the verge of burning, discard and add the same amount of XVOO and butter back to the pan. Once the butter stops foaming (that is if you added more XVOO and butter) add the processed vegetables, and the rest of the salt and pepper and sauté, scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and the orange zest and reduce by half. Add the Shanks and pour the beef or chicken stock over them. Pour enough to just barely cover the Veal Shanks. Add the bouquet garni and bring to a boil.
Cover the pan with a lid and place in oven. Cook for 2½ to 3 hours. The Veal Shanks are done when the meat is fork tender and almost falling off the bone.
Remove the pan from the oven and carefully remove the Shanks from the pan using a large slotted spoon or Chinese skimmer. Remove the butcher’s twine and set aside. Remove the bouquet garni, skim the fat off the top of the sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce until thickened, stirring the whole time, about 3 or 4 minutes.
Serve immediately topped with some of the sauce. Be sure to have plenty of crusty artisan bread to sop up the delicious sauce. A perfect and traditional accompaniment is Saffron Risotto Ala Milanese. Soft Polenta is a great accompaniment as well.
