Instructions
10 steps · tick them off as you cookPat 4 veal shanks (about 350g each) dry and tie a length of kitchen twine around each to hold the meat to the bone; season generously with salt and pepper and dredge in 1/2 cup flour.
Heat 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers without smoking, then sear the shanks 4 minutes per side until deeply mahogany; transfer to a plate.
4 minutesReduce heat to medium, add 1 diced onion, 2 diced carrots, and 2 diced celery stalks, and sweat for 8 minutes until the onions turn translucent.
8 minutesStir in 4 minced garlic cloves and 2 tbsp tomato paste; cook 2 minutes until the paste darkens to brick red.
2 minutesDeglaze with 1 cup dry white wine, scraping up the fond, and reduce by half, about 4 minutes.
4 minutesAdd 2 cups beef stock, 1 cup crushed tomatoes, 2 bay leaves, and 3 thyme sprigs; nestle the shanks back in so the liquid comes two-thirds up the sides.
Cover and braise in a 325°F (165°C) oven for 2 hours, turning the shanks halfway, until the meat pulls easily from the bone.
2 hoursMeanwhile, prepare the gremolata by finely chopping 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley with the zest of 1 lemon and 1 garlic clove.
Remove the shanks and reduce the braising liquid on the stovetop for 5 minutes until glossy and coating a spoon.
5 minutesSpoon sauce over the shanks and shower with gremolata just before serving.
Chef's tip
Tying each shank keeps the meat wrapped around the bone during the long braise, preserving that dramatic presentation and protecting the prized marrow inside.
Suggested pairing
Serve over saffron risotto alla milanese with a full-bodied Barbera d'Alba to match the richness.
About this recipe
Fork-tender veal shanks slowly braised in white wine and tomato until the marrow melts, finished with a bright lemon-parsley gremolata.
ItalianHardslow-cookedsunday-dinnercomfortingwinter
