Osso Buco with Orange Gremolata

By JeanAnn

Ingredients

• Bread crumbs:
• 1/2 cup, 1/8-inch dice white country bread, or 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Boquet Garni:
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 orange, peel removed with a swivel-blade vegetable peeler
• Veal:
• 6 meaty slices veal shank, about 12 ounces each, 2 1/4 inches thick, tied with kitchen twine
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 carrots, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 shallots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, cracked
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 5 cups dry white wine
• 4 cups veal stock, or a combination of half beef and half chicken broth
• Gremolata:
• 2 strips (2 inches) orange zest, removed with a swivel -blade vegetable peeler
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Spread the diced bread, oil and salt and pepper in a small baking pan. Bake 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Let cool.

Tie the celery, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and orange peel into a bundle with kitchen twine.

Season the veal with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heatt. Add as many pieces of the veal as will fit comfortably without crowding. Brown the veal on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan. Repeat with the remaining veal. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil.

Add the carrots, onion, shallots, garlic and peppercorns. Cover over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the wine and cook until it is reduced by one-third. Add all of the stock and the bouquet garni. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Return the veal to the pot, overlapping the pieces slightly. Cover the pot.

Transfer the veal to the oven. Cook until fork tender, about 3 hours. Check the veal from time to time to be sure that the liquid is never boiling. If it is, reduce the temperature slightly.

Bring a small pot of water to boiling. Add the orange zest and blanch for 5 seconds. Drain and immediately transferr the zest to a bowl of ice water. Drain th zest and repeat the process 2 more times. Let cool, then chop the zest very fine. You should have about 1 1/2 teaspoons. In a small bowl, mix the parsley, chopped zest, cheese and toasted diced bread.

Remove the veal. Strain the liquid and return it to the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat and cook until thickened. Return the veal to the pot to reheat. Baste with the sauce.

To serve: Place 1 slice of veal in each serving bowl. Spoon on the sauce and sprinkle with a little of the gremolata.