Fab Food

So recently I acquired my second Le Creuset pan.  Like the first it was on sale.  And unlike the first, I really didn’t need it.  But it was bigger than my first and it was blue (my fav color).  So of course I bought it!  Which of course inspired me to cook something amazing in it.   So after looking through my many cookbooks I came up with the idea of making Osso Buco, braised veal in all it’s fabulousness.

And after reading many variations of the dish, I settled on one from Tyler Florence.  And boy did it deliver.  So today I’m going to share.  And although the list of ingredients seems daunting, I’m here to say, that although it takes a little time to prep, it’s relatively easy to make.  And absolutely divine to eat!

OSSO BUCO MILANESE - Tyler Florence

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup flour

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 pieces veal shank with bone, cut 3 inches thick

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, chopped

4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 bay leaves

3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

1 cup dry Marsala

2 cups veal or chicken stock

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

GREMOLATA:

Grated rind of 1 lemon

Grated rind of 1 orange

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

In a large shallow platter, season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the veal shanks in the mixture and tap off any excess. In a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven, over medium flame, heat the oil and butter. Sear the shanks on all sides, turn bones on sides to hold in marrow. Add more oil and butter if needed. Remove the browned veal shanks and set aside.

Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and parsley to the pan and cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high, add the wine and deglaze the pan. Return the shanks to the pan, add the stock and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Baste the meat a few times during cooking. Remove the cover, continue to simmer for 10 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.   Transfer meat and sauce to serving dish.

For gremolata: combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. Strew the gremolata over the osso buco before serving.

What about you?  Are you Food Network obsessed?  Do cookbooks threaten to overtake your kitchen?  Are you a Le Creuset fan?