Osso Buco

tonights dinner: Osso Buco!

( I should have wiped the plate!)
Beautifully tender veal shanks with a great sauce, topped with gremolata and served with a cabbage side dish (cabbage cooked with pancetta, onions, beef stock, hot Spanish paprika and sherry vinegar)
Flour and sear the shanks in a skillet. Remove the shanks from the skillet, add some white wine and deglaze. In a braising pot, saute onions, carrots, celery and garlic (I actually used leek, onion, garlic and portabello mushroom). When the vegetables are soft, add the veal shanks and liquid from the skillet. Add veal or beef stock to cover and a cup of canned tomatoes. Add some herbs (bay leaf, parsley, oregano) and put (covered) in a 325 oven for two hours. For the gremolata: finely chop parsley, garlic and add zest of a lemon.
Once the osso buco is tender, remove the shanks (in one piece if possible), and put the gravy through a sieve. Reduce the sauce until slightly thickened; pour over the osso buco and top with gremolata.

I drank a 2005 Barolo from Ascheri

Wonderful wine, surprisingly light coloured but medium-bodied. Strong alcohol/wood nose - silky mouth-feel with black cherry flavours and powerful tannins. The finish is long but even longer are the tannins. Probably better in 5-10 years. score - 90