Osso Bucco (Veal Shanks) With Lemon/Tangerine Gremolata

"There is no braising recipe better than osso bucco with gremolata in my opinion. The wonderful flavor of the veal, the texture of the meat with the velvety thickness in a tomatoy sauce freshened and lightened with my all time favorite seasonings, garlic and lemon and tangerine zest lifting it to new heights of flavor. My recipe is a combination of the quintessential classic from time/life foods of the world and Bert Greene's gremolata in his Kitchen Bouquet cookbook Can you tell I love this? :D Just a few tips/suggestions here. 1. Don't cut the meat in half if you are single/two ppl because you need to have the effect from the full number of shanks to get the velvety jelly like consistency of the sauce. Its not jelly like when you eat it it warm but wait til you get the leftovers and you can see why the flavor is so rich and intense. Leftovers can be frozen but I'm betting that you eat it all till its gone :) Serving it to 6 ppl works but I actually prefer no more than 4. I want the leftovers. 2. Ask your butcher to cut the shanks to the thickness in the recipe, or at a minimum 1 inch. Or use extra if you can only get 1/2 inch ones. 3. Try the marrow. One of the real wonders of this dish is taking a small spoon or knife and spreading the marrow on a crostini, or just with the sauce. Its mild in flavor (i hate organ meats or weird internal things, but this is nothing like that) 4. Substitute lamb shanks but again use enough to get the consistency needed. 5. I love the flavors of the garlic, don't be afraid of the amount in the gremolata, its balanced by the lemon and tangerine as well as parsley. (which i leave out sometimes) 6. To strain or not? I love it both ways, i think the sauce is finer and the flavors burst better if strained. When i am alone i often simply leave it as is with the veggies."
 
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photo by Andi Longmeadow Farm photo by Andi Longmeadow Farm
photo by Andi Longmeadow Farm
photo by Andi Longmeadow Farm photo by Andi Longmeadow Farm
Ready In:
2hrs 45mins
Ingredients:
21
Serves:
6
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ingredients

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directions

  • Note: shanks cut into 2 1/2 inch pieces, tied with string around the circumference.
  • Note: i use 3 cups drained canned tomatoes chopped but cant remember can size so put fresh. both work.
  • Heat oven to 350. Melt butter in a dutch oven/casserole dish or use an electric frying pan for it all. Add chopped carrots, celery and onion to butter until they are lightly colored.
  • In a heavy skillet heat 6 tbs olive oil. Season veal and dredge in flour then brown on ALL sides including edges. Add to casserole on top of vegetables.
  • Deglaze the skillet by adding the cup of wine and scraping up the browned bits. Boil till reduced to 1/2 cup. Add stock, tomatoes and herbs, bring to a boil and pour over veal. Make sure it comes at least 1/2 way up the side of the meat and add more wine or stock if needed.
  • Cover the pot and bake in oven for 1 1/2 hours basting occasionally until meat is fork tender.
  • Remove veal from casserole, and if you wish put meat in oven heated up to 450 on a plate until it browns and glazes. Or just set it aside and keep warm.
  • To strain the sauce press through a fine mesh sieve until all juice is back in the pot. Can be whizzed in the processor as well. Heat to boiling.
  • Add the lemon and tangerine peel, garlic and parsley, boil till reduced and thickened, season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over the meat. Garnish with a few strips of zest from both fruits.
  • Serve with Risotto alla milanese or plain rice, and some crusty bread to put the marrow on and mop up the sauce.
  • If you have any leftovers enjoy, and if there is no meat but just sauce its wonderful over rice or noodles as a light supper.

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Reviews

  1. Outstanding dish. I am almost rendered incapable of being able to describe this dish, the succulent, savory, smoothness of the shanks (in my case lamb) the bursts of tomato, the garlic, lemon, and tangerine undertones. The previous reviewer is correct, this is a wonderful, easy Osso Bucco recipe to start with, as well as the experienced cook; who will only delight in this beyond exemplary perfect dish. I have a old "Lodge" dutch oven, {that is as heavy as carrying a tons of bricks}, that is my well seasoned work horse of my kitchen. This kettle is like a n artist's palette, used to mix all ingredients, and proceeding to bring a beautiful picture to life. From the braising of the shanks, and macerating all the flavors as they developed over the 2 hours, it all roasted happily in my oven. I browned the shanks first, removed them of a bit, added vegetables, cooked until translucent, added garlic, herbs de province, wine, turkey stock, frozen whole tomatoes from my garden, and let it go on it's own journey. I did strain the juice afterwards, and I agree, there IS a certain "something" that makes the juices appear wonderful and warm. Truly a very special dish. This will remain at the top of my cooking journey for a long time to come. Thanks, Marra for a very special dish indeed.
     
  2. Oh wow. I am very lucky to live where I can easily get veal shanks cut to order, and have made osso bucco many times, but this really is a good version of it. (Honestly, I don't think there IS a bad version!) I loved the twist of the tangerine in the gremolata--that was a new one for me. Everything else in this recipe is classic--you cannot go wrong. And I actually prefer the sauce un-strained. (I like the veggie chunks with the risotto, which is de rigueur with osso bucco) If this is your first time trying osso bucco, you can't go wrong with this. And do not, under any circumstances, let that wonderful marrow go to waste! MMmmmm.....
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

http://www.recipezaar.com/members/home/527607/cookswithcattitude.jpg I am a middle aged foodie who has had the luxury of living all over the world except asia. Lived in or grew up in Nigeria, Kenya, Chicago, Russia,and haiti. born in New Zealand, brother born in Austria and many more. I have chronic medication resistant depression after 10 years on anti depressants that worked well but would stop working after a year or two, so now do my best at home living on disabilty. Not a bad thing, many have far worse health issues but i have been able to concentrate on food/cooking. My main passions are my cats. I live in the woods and somehow many starving strays or "dumps" have found the message babies who passed on left in the woods saying "suck lives at xxxx road. Most arrive sick and/or starving. Right now i have 2 that arrived with feline herpes and their attendant 2ndry bacterial infections but are doing beautifully. One old man who was going to be euthanized bc a lady who found him as a stray was moving and didnt want him...well he was a biter and rather grumpy who was in ICU for 3 days with a deadly gut infection which was fixed but he left with a diagnosis of diabetes. 3 months on insulin and finally diet controlled and he caught the herpes virus, respiratory symptom version and turned into a cuddler. Butterscotch must think "why didnt i figure out this cuddle stuff was great before i got sick!" Doing wonderfully even though he has bouts. he and the other kids are my babies. Sadly Butterscotch died of Lymphatic cancer in winter of 2008. A year before Big Boy arrived in my life, starving and weak. Full of affection he jumped into my arms and stayed, turns out he has FIV (cat hiv) so he needs to be watched closely. I love him dearly <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/Adopted1smp.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/smPACp.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"> <img src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b280/carolinamoon21/Stockingswapcopy.jpg"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/participantbannerzwt5.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/DUCHESS13/cookbookswap.jpg"> <img src="http://www.caymandesigns.com/foodothers/fallswap.jpg">
 
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