Ossobuco alla Milanese in bianco Braised veal shins There are two ways of making this classic Milanese dish – with or without tomatoes. The latter, known in Italian as in bianco, is actually the original version: the veal is slowly braised with vegetables, white wine and stock and garnished with gremolada for extra flavour and colour. Veal shin or knuckle is a cheap, tough cut but extremely flavoursome and ideal for slow cooking. The name ossobuco in Italian means ‘bone with a hole’, a reference to the hollow marrow bone at the centre of the cross-cut veal shin. Ask your butcher for veal shin for ossobuco and he will cut the pieces for you for this excellent dish. In Milan, this is traditionally served with risotto alla Milanese – saffron risotto.
Serves 4 4 cross-cut slices of veal shin, about 300g/10½oz each plain (all-purpose) flour, to dust 50g/1¾oz/4 tbsp butter 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, finely chopped 150ml/5fl oz/²/³ cup dry white wine salt and freshly ground black pepper 500ml/18fl oz/2 cups veal or chicken stock (see page 22) – or use a stock cube for the gremolada 1 garlic clove, finely chopped a handful of parsley, finely chopped grated zest of ½ lemon
Using kitchen scissors, slightly snip the skin around the veal shins (this is done to prevent the meat from curling up during cooking). Dust the meat with flour, shake off any excess and set aside. Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and carrot and gently sweat until softened. Increase the heat to medium, add the veal shins and brown on both sides. Add the wine and allow to evaporate. Season with salt and pepper, add the stock, reduce the heat, partially cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 1½ hours, or until the meat is tender. Meanwhile, prepare the gremolada by combining all the ingredients together. When the veal is cooked, remove from the heat and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the gremolada and serve.
For a slow cooker Sweat the vegetables and brown the meat as above, add the wine and evaporate. Add the salt, pepper and stock, bring to the boil, then transfer to a large slow cooker pot, make sure the veal is beneath the stock, then cover and cook on Low for 6–7 hours. Serve as above.
76
Stews