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Born to brew BEER IS A BLEND OF ART AND SCIENCE FOR GORDON BIERSCH BREWMASTER JEFF HELD By Tyler Hanley
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MICHELLE LE
Jeff Held, the brewmaster at Gordon Biersch in Palo Alto, has a pint with his regular customers.
DINNER BY THE MOVIES AT SHORELINE’S
Pizzeria Venti tions eserva r g n i t ep now acc
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eff Held cradled a glass of auburn-colored beer — Gordon Biersch’s popular Märzen lager — as massive cylindrical machines hummed beside him. The brewing area in the rear of Gordon Biersch’s downtown Palo Alto restaurant sounded akin to a large laundry room on a recent Monday, its machinery churning feverishly. Held was cleaning one of the stainless-steel brew tanks using an organic-eating caustic. “This equipment was built in Germany in 1965, so it’s very old
equipment. Oldest in the company and probably some of the oldest in the country,� Held said. The vintage equipment is apropos considering Gordon Biersch’s Palo Alto location at 640 Emerson St. was the company’s first, opening in July 1988. There are now more than 40 nationwide. Held, brewmaster of Gordon Biersch Palo Alto for nearly a decade, beamed with a youthful enthusiasm while describing the brewing process that is organic at its core despite the heavy mechanical element. “To make beer you use four Continued on next page
Ossobuco is a classic dish from Milan and features braised Veal shanks in a white wine and tomato sauce. Our simple, yet elegant recipe will be a family favorite for years to come. For your dining pleasure, we offer this recipe. From our kitchen to yours, BUON APPETITO! Pizzeria Venti Recipe - Chef Carlo Maeda
OSSOBUCO s TABLESPOONS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL s SMALL ONION CHOPPED l NE s CARROTS CHOPPED l NE s STALKS OF CELERY CHOPPED l NE s VEAL SHANKS CUT ABOUT INCHES thick, each tied tightly cross-wise s m OUR SPREAD ON A PLATE
s CUP DRY WHITE WINE s TABLESPOONS BUTTER s CUP CHICKEN BROTH s CUP TOMATOES CRUSHED WITH their juices s FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER TO TASTE s SALT TO TASTE
Preparation instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in foil pan. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes then drain the oil. 3. Meanwhile, heat the other 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a foil pan. Dredge the veal shanks in the our, coating on all sides and shake off the excess our. When the oil is hot, slip in the shanks and brown them on all sides. This should take about 6-7 minutes per side. Remove the veal shanks and place them in the ďŹ rst pan on top of the cooked vegetables. 4. Add the wine, butter, chicken broth, tomatoes, pepper and salt to the pot. The liquid should come at least two thirds of the way to the top of the shanks. If it does not, add more broth.
1390 Pear Ave., Mountain View (650) 254-1120 www.mvpizzeriaventi.com
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5. Cover the pan and place it in the oven. Cook for about 2 hours, turning and basting every 30 minutes, until the meat is very tender. 6. Transfer the Ossobuco to a warm plate and carefully remove the strings. To serve place Ossobuco on a plate with Risotto Milanese, or Pastina pasta in herbed olive oil and garlic. OCTOBER 7, 2011 â– MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE â–
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