BRAISED VEAL SHANKS WITH GREEN OLIVES AND CAPERS

Braised Veal Shanks with Green Olives and Capers image

Categories Olive Braise Veal White Wine Winter Capers Gourmet

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 22

Ingredients

For Braised Veal Shanks
3/4 cup unpitted brine-cured green olives (preferably cracked)* rinsed well
5 pounds 2-inch-thick veal shanks (6 to 8 shanks), each tied securely with kitchen string to keep meat attached to bone
all-purpose flour for dredging
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium-large onion, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 anchovy fillet, chopped
five 3- by 1/2-inch strips fresh lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons drained bottled capers
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
Accompaniment: gremolata (recipe follows)
Garnish: dried caper berries**
For Gremolata
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic, or to taste
*Cracked unpitted brine-cured green olives are available at specialty foods shops and Mediterranean markets.
**Drained caper berries are available at specialty foods shops.

Steps:

Make Braised Veal Shanks:
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Pit 1/4 cup olives and chop fine. Lightly crush remaining 1/2 cup olives with side of a large knife.
Pat veal shanks dry between paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge top and bottom (not side) of each shank in flour, knocking off excess. In a 12-inch heavy skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil and butter over moderately high heat until foam subsides and brown tops and bottoms of shanks in batches, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer shanks as browned to a flameproof roasting pan.
Wipe out skillet and add remaining tablespoon oil. Heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook onion, stirring, until golden. Add garlic and anchovy and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add chopped olives, zest, capers, rosemary, and wine and boil 5 minutes. Add broth and crushed olives and bring to a boil.
Pour broth mixture over shanks and cover tightly with foil. Braise shanks in oven 2 hours, or until meat is tender. Shanks may be prepared up to this point 2 days ahead and cooled, uncovered, before chilling, covered. Reheat shanks before proceeding.
Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Transfer shanks with a slotted spoon to another roasting pan or deep oven proof platter and keep warm, covered, in oven. Strain cooking liquid through a sieve into a 1-quart glass measuring cup and reserve solids, discarding zest. Let liquid stand until fat rises to top and skim and discard fat. (There should be about 1 1/2 cups liquid. If necessary, in a saucepan boil liquid until it is reduced.) Add reserved solids to liquid and pour over shanks.
Serve shanks sprinkled with gremolata and garnished with caper berries.
Make Gremolata:
In a small bowl toss all ingredients together well. Makes about 1/3 cup.