Best Veal Shanks With Porcini Recipes

VEAL SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour, salt and pepper. Add veal, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. In an ovenproof Dutch oven, brown meat in oil in batches on all sides; drain., In a large skillet, saute the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in butter until tender. Return veal to the Dutch oven; top with vegetable mixture. Add tomatoes, broth, basil, thyme and bay leaves., Cover and bake 2 to 2-1/4 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaves. Just before serving, combine garnish ingredients; sprinkle over veal. Freeze option: Place individual portions to cooled meat and cooking juices in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth if necessary.

VEAL SHANKS WITH PORCINI

Steps:

• 1 Place the mushrooms in a bowl with 1 cup warm water. Let stand 30 minutes. Lift the mushrooms out of the liquid and rinse them well under running water, paying special attention to the base of the stems where soil collects. Drain and chop fine. Strain the mushroom liquid through a paper coffee filter into a bowl. Reserve the liquid. 2 In a Dutch oven large enough to hold the veal shanks side by side, or another deep, heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the olive oil with the butter over medium heat. Add the veal and cook, turning the shanks occasionally, until browned, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 3 Scatter the mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic around the shanks and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the white wine and let simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste, mushroom liquid, and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat, turning the meat occasionally, until it is very tender and comes away from the bone when tested with a fork, about 2 hours. (Add a little water if the liquid evaporates too quickly.) 4 Transfer the meat to a platter and cover to keep warm. Tip the pot and skim the fat from the juices. Discard the herbs. Boil the juices until slightly thickened. 5 Remove the strings from the veal shanks. Holding each shank by the bone, carve the meat lengthwise. Arrange the slices on a platter and spoon the juices over all. Serve immediately. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

VEAL, PORK AND PORCINI BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook gently to sweat for about 2 minutes. Do not let the onions caramelize. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook about 1 minute, or until garlic is lightly browned.
• Add the veal and pork and cook, smashing the meat apart with a wooden spoon, to keep it from clumping together. Cook for about 2 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook about 4 minutes, evaporating any liquid and caramelizing the meat.
• Add the porcini juice to the meat and cook for 1 minute to evaporate. Add the veal stock and cook for 2 minutes. Add the marinara and the wine. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the parsley.
• Toss 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan into the sauce to help it bind. Add some reserved pasta water, as necessary, if the sauce appears too dry. Top with the remaining Parmesan.
• Heat the olive oil in a large non-reactive pot over moderate heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the parsley and garlic and cook briefly to release their fragrance. Add the tomatoes, basil and salt. Simmer briskly until reduced to a sauce like consistency, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. The timing will depend on the ripeness and meatiness of your tomatoes and the size of your pot. If the sauce thickens too much before the flavors have developed, add a little water and continue cooking.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the sauce tastes too acidic, add the baking soda and cook for 5 more minutes. If it needs a touch of sweetness, add the sugar and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove the basil stem before serving.

OSSO BUCO

Steps:

• Place the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and cloves into cheesecloth and secure with twine. This will be your bouquet garni.
• For the veal shanks, pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Veal shanks will brown better when they are dry. Secure the meat to the bone with the kitchen twine. Season each shank with salt and freshly ground pepper. Dredge the shanks in flour, shaking off excess.
• In a large Dutch oven pot, heat vegetable oil until smoking. Add tied veal shanks to the hot pan and brown all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove browned shanks and reserve.
• In the same pot, add the onion, carrot and celery. Season with salt at this point to help draw out the moisture from the vegetables. Saute until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Return browned shanks to the pan and add the white wine and reduce liquid by half, about 5 minutes. Add the bouquet garni and 2 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Check every 15 minutes, turning shanks and adding more chicken stock as necessary. The level of cooking liquid should always be about 3/4 the way up the shank.
• Carefully remove the cooked shanks from the pot and place in decorative serving platter. Cut off the kitchen twine and discard.
• Remove and discard bouquet garni from the pot.
• Pour all the juices and sauce from the pot over the shanks. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon zest.

BRAISED VEAL SHANKS WITH PORCINI AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Place porcini in bowl. Pour water over; let stand until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Chop porcini.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, rosemary and bay leaves; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add fresh and dried mushrooms and potatoes; cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Season veal with salt and pepper. Coat with flour. Add to skillet; brown well, about 4 minutes per side. Place atop vegetables in Dutch oven. Add wine to skillet; bring to boil, stirring up any browned bits. Boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add to Dutch oven. Add porcini soaking liquid, leaving any sediment behind. Add broth and juice. Bring to boil. Cover, place in oven and bake until veal is tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Uncover stew; cook over medium-high heat until liquid is thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaves. Add peas; cook until heated through.
• Mix parsley and lemon peel in bowl. Top stew with parsley mixture and serve.