OSSO BUCO WITH GREMOLATA

Osso Buco with Gremolata image

Number Of Ingredients 16

2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt
One 2-inch veal shank, cut across the bone
1 small-to-medium onion, chopped
1/2 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 small leek, or 1/2 large leek, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
Freshly ground pepper
Small sprig of fresh rosemary, or a pinch of dried
5 or 6 fresh parsley stems
Gremolata
1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced
About 2 strips lemon peel (without pith), minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Steps:

Heat the oil in your small pot. Rub salt over the veal shank, and put it into the sizzling oil. Brown lightly on one side, then turn and brown the other. Turn the veal on its side to make room for the onion, carrot, tomato, and leek pieces. Sauté them for a minute or two, then flip the shank over so it is bone side down, and pour in the wine. Stir to get up any browned bits, and reduce the wine by half. Pour in the broth; add several grindings of pepper, lay the rosemary and parsley stems on top, and cover. Let cook for 1 3/4 hours at a gentle simmer.
Meanwhile, put together the gremolata-the tasty, garlicky topping-by simply mixing the minced garlic, lemon peel, and parsley together.
When the meat is very tender, remove it to a warm plate, discarding the parsley stems, and sprinkle the top with as much of the gremolata as you like. Eat with some crusty bread to sop up the sauce. And don't forget the marrow. Use a little coffee spoon to scrape it out and extract the last precious morsel.