Osso Bucco

Ingredients

4 x 350-400g, centre bone cut pieces of veal osso buco

100mL extra virgin olive oil  

2 medium to large white onions, finely diced  

2 cloves garlic, finely diced 

2 anchovy fillets  

1 cup dry white wine 

1kg fresh tomato, crushed with skins and seeds removed 

1 cup veal stock  

2 large sprigs of fresh thyme 

2 large sprigs of fresh sage 

1 large sprig of fresh rosemary  

1 fresh bay leaf  

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste  

For the purée 

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

2 tbsp finely chopped parsley 

2 tbsp finely chopped good quality anchovy 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 170°C.  

Season the veal with the sea salt and pepper. Heat half the olive oil in a large pot  and brown the veal osso buco pieces evenly on all sides. The veal should be well coloured but be careful not to burn the meat. This should take about 10 minutes. 

Remove the browned veal shanks from the pot and set them aside on a plate or in a baking tray. Add the remaining olive oil to the same pot to which you browned the veal and then add the diced onion, garlic, anchovy and herbs and sauté slowly for about 5 minutes or until translucent.  Turn heat up and then add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Cook until the wine is almost completely reduced before adding the tomato and veal stock.

Bring to the boil before lowering heat slightly and placing the veal pieces back into the pot. Slowly bring to the boil again before allowing to simmer slowly. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly, if the tomatoes are not as ripe and sweet at they should be a little sugar should be added. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the cut but will take somewhere between 2.5 to 4 hours. 

The veal should be fork tender, with the meat just beginning to separate from the bone when you move them from the oven. Do not remove until meat is falling off the bone.  

To make the purée, combine the garlic, anchovy and parsley. 

After you have removed the veal from the sauce, stir in the puree.  Serve veal pieces with equal portions of saffron risotto and spoon a little of the veal sauce over the top of the veal pieces to finish.