Liliana (Salotti) Lunardi, Piano di Coreglia, Lucca
During the Christmas season, our family prepares this recipe in place of the standard turkey and everyone looks forward to it. This was once considered a peasant dish of northern Italy.
(Yield: 4 servings)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves (chopped)
4 1½-inch cross-cut veal shanks
1 cup flour (for dredging)
1 cup tomato sauce (see page 308)
1 cup dry white wine
salt and freshly ground pepper
Meat:
1. Warm oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant (approx. 30 seconds).
2.Dredge veal shanks in flour and braise in Dutch oven, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
3.Add ¾ cup each tomato sauce and wine. Ensure veal is submerged.
4.Lower heat to simmer and cook covered for 30 to 40 minutes. Keep meat submerged. Add remaining wine and sauce if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Vegetables:
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup onions (diced)
½ cup carrots (diced)
½ cup celery (diced)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
½ cup white wine
4 cups beef broth
2½ cups diced tomatoes (15 ounces)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon each finely chopped, rosemary, sage and thyme
2½ cups precooked Romano beans
(15 ounce can drained and rinsed)
salt and pepper
1. Warm oil in large saucepan over medium heat and sauté onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
2.Add wine, bring to simmer. Reduce by half.
3.Add broth, tomatoes and herbs. Simmer until reduced by half.
4.Add beans. Cook for approx. 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5.When serving, use slotted spoon and bed vegetable mixture on plate. Place ossobuco on top. Ladle sauce over all to taste.
You may cook the ossobuco with the vegetables, but I find it tastes better cooked separately.