Osso Buco Italian Style Veal Shanks

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Much of classic Italian cuisine has its roots in traditional home cooking where the emphasis is on simple hearty fare. Osso buco is a favourite dish throughout Italy but it is especially popular in Milan.

Ingredients

4 veal shanks
Olive oil
2 carrots
3 sticks celery
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
flour seasoned with salt and pepper
2 tins canned tomatoes
100ml red wine
400 ml beef or vegetable stock
dried oregano
1 bay leaf
rind of half a lemon
chopped parsley

Method
Make a sofritto by finely dicing the carrots, celery onion and 2 of the cloves of garlic and sauteing in olive oil. Sofritto means ‘half cooked’, so you really need to just soften the vegetables. Remove them to a large ovenproof dish.

Dredge the veal shanks in the flour and brown them on both sides in oil. Arrange the osso buci on top of the vegetables. Deglase the saute pan with the wine and add the tomatoes. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Add the stock and herbs and bring the sauce to a boil. Taste it and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables and cook, covered in a modeate oven for two hours.

Use the extra clove of garlic, the finely chopped parsley and the grated lemon rind to make a gremolata, just combine the crushed garlic with the other ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle it over the dish just before serving.

Serve the osso buco with risotto milanese.

Food pairing with Osso Buco

This rich Italian dish is ideally accompanied by a savoury Italian red wine - a Sangiovese would be most suitable.

This recipe is supplied by Wendy Lawson of Catherine Vale Wines in the Hunter Valley. She suggests serving it with Catherine Vale Barbera.

These “olives” are not olives at all. They are rolled stuffed slices of veal. Maybe they resemble cigars rather than olives.

Serves 4 | Preparation Time 20 minutes | Cooking Time 25 minutes

This dish is to be served with Catherine Vale Barbera.

Ingredients:

• 4 thin veal escalopes
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 30 ml double cream
• 6 large mushrooms
• 50 g butter
• 200ml chicken stock
• 30 ml oil
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Trim and wash mushrooms. Dry and chop finely or in a food processor
2. Melt butter and gently sauté the shallot and the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and allow the water from the mushrooms to evaporate and then stir in the double cream
stirring constantly to prevent sticking to base of pan. Reduce a little and then set aside to cool
3. Gently flatten escallops between 2 sheets of cling film with the flat of a large knife.
4. Remove cling film and season the veal with salt and pepper. Place mushroom cream filling down the centre of each escallop.
5. Roll up and secure with kitchen string.
6. Heat oil and seal the meat rolls on all sides until lightly browned all over.
7. Transfer to a medium oven to finish cooking, turning them from time to time to ensure even cooking.
8. Add chicken stock to remaining cream filling, then beat in the butter and allow it to reduce somewhat. Check and adjust seasoning and serve poured over the ‘olives’ when they are cooked through.

Enjoy this dish with a glass of Catherine Vale Barbera.

Veal a la American

This veal recipe has just a few carefully chosen added flavours to complement the delicacy of the veal rather than overpower it. Cooking with butter rather than oil allows the meat to brown at a lower temperature. It was contributed by Steve at O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards.

Ingredients for 4 people:
* Veal steaks (600g)
* Plain flour (1 cup)
* Butter (2 tbspn)
* Beef or chicken stock (250ml
* French Mustard (1 tbspn)
* Capers (1/3 cup)
* Pouring cream (150ml)
* Juice of one Lemon
Method:

* Cut veal steak across the grain into small 1cm thick slices and bash with meat tenderizer
* Toss meat in flour and shake off excess
* Cook meat lightly in pan using butter (not oil)
* Place cooked meat aside for later
* Heat stock in pan (bring to just below boiling point)
* Add meat to pan
* Stir in tablespoon of mustard
* Add cut capers and lemon juice (de pip)
* Pour in cream, stir and simmer for 5 minutes
* Serve with mashed potato and your favourite vegetables

Wine selection

Steve has selected the Bernard Reserve Chambourcin.

He says:

All these flavours need is a wine of great character and complexity. This Chambourcin was grown on the southern side of our vineyard and harvested in early March 2003. At Canungra we have found Chambourcin to be a very versatile variety. Fermented on skins and pressed at dryness our Bernard Reserve Chambourcin contains lovely earthy tones, rich plum and berry flavours complete with unami characteristics starting at the middle and continuing all the way through to the back palate.

O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards is located in the peaceful Canungra Valley, Gold Coast Hinterland, just a 60 minute scenic drive south of Brisbane.