Osso buco is a classic Italian dish that will please anyone who loves tender yet richly textured meat. (Ask your butcher to tie the veal shanks so they won’t fall off the bone while cooking.) In this recipe, the veal is topped with a gremolata, a simple garnish made with parsley, lemon zest, and garlic to balance the richness. The dish is served on a colorful backdrop of golden butter beans, tomatoes, and carrots— all dressed in a luscious white wine sauce.
Tips and Notes: If you can’t find large, flat butter beans, use any white beans, such as cannellini. And if you’re starting with dried beans, you will need to cook them in advance. We find the canned version to be fairly indistinguishable from the dried beans. You can also make this dish with lamb shanks. But veal is so exceptional, it’s worth the additional cost.
Excerpted from The Covenant Kitchen. Copyright © 2015 Jeff Morgan. Published by Schoken, a Penguin Random House Company. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
ingredients
Veal Shanks
Gremolata and Beans
directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180ºC).
Prepare the veal shanks: Pat the veal shanks dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. If your butcher has not already done it, secure the meat to the bone by tying a piece of kitchen twine around each shank’s perimeter.
Season the meat with salt and pepper. Dredge the shanks in the flour, shaking off any excess clumps.
In a Dutch oven or large oven-proof pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the veal shanks and brown on both cut sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the shanks to a large plate and set aside.
To the same pot, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté over medium heat until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir to mix well and cook for 30 seconds. Add
Return the shanks to the pot, spoon a bit of the wine sauce over the shanks, cover, and transfer to the oven. Bake until tender, about 2 hours, turning the shanks over every 45 minutes.
While the meat is cooking, make the gremolata: In a blender or food processor, combine the parsley, lemon zest, and 1 minced garlic clove. Do not purée. Instead pulse 3 to 4 times to retain a coarse texture. Set aside.
Prepare the beans: In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the 2 remaining minced garlic cloves and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cherry tomatoes and mix well. Sauté until the tomatoes have softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the beans, rosemary, salt, and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the beans are hot and the flavours are integrated, about 5 minutes. If necessary, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to prevent the beans from burning. (If the beans are ready to eat long before the meat, cover the pan, remove from the heat, and set aside. Reheat over medium heat for a few minutes prior to serving.)
To serve, divide the beans evenly in a wide circle on each plate. Carefully remove the cooked veal shanks from the pot and place one on top of the beans on each plate. Cut the kitchen twine from each shank. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of the vegetables and sauce from the pot over the meat and beans. Garnish each veal shank with the gremolata.