Osso bucco
(Braised slices of veal knuckle with tomato garniture)
Ingredients
2 veal knuckles
1 + 1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp oil
1/2 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 celery branch, coarsely chopped
1/2 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 tomato, skinned, seeded, and chopped into 1/4″ pieces
1 cup + 1 tsp flour (about 1 oz)
150 ml white wine (about 2/3 cup)
350 ml veal stock (about 1 1/2 cup)
salt and pepper
Garniture
3 branches parsley
1/2 orange peel (for zest)
1/2 carrot, peeled and chopped into small (no larger than 1/8″) pieces
1/2 onion, peeled and chopped finely
2 tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and chopped into 1/4″ pieces
Heat oven to 375F.
Prep mirepoix with 1/2 carrot, 1/2 onion, 1/2 celery branch, all coarsely chopped. Add garlic clove, chopped more finely.
Peel and seed all 3 tomatoes, chop into even 1/4″ pieces. Reserve 1/3 for mirepoix, and hold on to the other 2/3 for garniture.
Peel very thin layers from orange peel; scrape any white off of the orange peel with a knife (to avoid bitterness). Julienne into very thin strips, about 1 1/2 teaspoons, total.
On stovetop, heat cocotte (or big, oven-proof pan with lid) over medium-high heat. Add oil and heat.
Season each piece of meat with salt and pepper. Run through flour and tap off excess.
Add meat to heated cocotte or pan; hot oil should sizzle when meat is added. After 2 minutes or so, when first side is golden brown, flip to other side.
After 2 minutes on second side, add 2 more Tablespoons oil, then add mirepoix mix.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of julienned orange peel to cocotte/pan.
Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of flour over pan contents, and blend. After 2 minutes, deglaze with white wine.
Add veal stock, bring to gentle boil. Taste liquid; season if needed. Cover pan and put into oven for 40 min - 1 hour (depending on size/thickness of meat; meat should be fork-tender when you test).
To make garniture
While meat is cooking, heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat and melt butter. Chop 1/2 onion finely and add about 2 Tbsp to melted butter (set remaining onion amount aside).
After 1 minute, add remaining chopped tomatoes. Taste and season, if needed. After 1-2 minutes, remove pan from heat.
In separate small pan, heat 1 Tbsp butter and add remaining finely chopped onion. After 2 minutes, add chopped carrot. Season, and cook another few minutes.
Add contents from tomato and onion pan to onion and carrot pan. Next add remaining julienned orange slices and blend. Move off of heat.
Drain sauce in pan through chinois/fine strainer. Move drained sauce to a pan and reduce a bit.
When sauce is reduced, add about 1/2 - 1 cup of it to garniture pan (holding tomatoes, onions, carrots and orange).
Plate meat when done, and cover meat generously with garniture sauce.
Garnish with parsley. Mangiamo bene!