Veal Shanks Braised With Honey Rosemary Recipe

How to make it

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• Heat the oven to 300 degrees.
• Browning the shanks: Season the veal shanks on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a wide Dutch oven or heavy braising pot (6- to 7-quart) over medium-high heat. When the oil is quite hot, add as many shanks as will fit without crowding. (If necessary, sear the shanks in batches.) Sear the shanks, turning once with tongs, until both flat sides have an attractive bronze color, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate or tray, without stacking.
• The aromatics and braising liquid: Add the onion to the pot, stir, and sauté, still over medium-high, until it softens and begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. The bottom of the pot should be developing a caramelized crust. Pour in the wine, stir to dissolve the brown crust on the bottom of the pot, and boil until the wine is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
• The braise: Add the stock, honey, orange zest and juice, lemon zest, rosemary, and balsamic vinegar to the pot. Return the shanks to the pot, arranging them in a snug single layer, and pour over any juices that accumulated as they sat. Bring to a simmer and cover with parchment paper, pressing down so the paper nearly touches the shanks and the edges hang over the sides of the pot by about an inch. Then secure the lid in place and slide into the lower third of the oven to braise at a gentle simmer for 1 hour. After the first 10 or 15 minutes, check that the liquid is not boiling too energetically; if it is lower the oven heat by 10 or 15 degrees and continue to braise.
• Meanwhile, prepare the garnish: Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet (12-inch) over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and the oil is quite hot add the shallots and carrots, season with salt and pepper, and sauté, stirring and shaking the pan frequently, until tinged with brown all over, about 8 minutes. Add the rosemary branches and sauté for another minute.
• After the veal has braised for 1 hour, add the shallots, carrots, and rosemary to the pot. Turn the shanks with tongs when you add the vegetable garnish and continue to braise gently until the veal is fork-tender and pulling away from the bone, about 2 hours total.
• Remove the pot from the oven.
• Finishing the sauce: With a slotted spoon, lift the shanks, along with the shallots and carrots, onto a platter, without stacking. Handle the veal carefully at this point, as it will tend to fall apart. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Strain the braising liquid into a saucepan, pushing down on the vegetables, zest, and spent herbs to extract all the juices, and discard the solids. Skim the surface fat from the strained liquid, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer, skimming a few more times, until reduced enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and keep at a low simmer.
• Portioning the veal shanks: If the shanks are reasonably sized, serve one shank per person. If the shanks are enormous, pull apart the larger shanks, separating them at their natural seams, and serve smaller amounts. Be sure to offer the marrow bones as well.
• Serving: For a luxurious sauce, whisk a walnut-sized knob of butter into the barely simmering sauce. Once you’ve added the butter, avoid prolonged boiling. Serve the shanks accompanied by the carrots and shallots, and spoon the sauce over the top.
• This recipe was adapted from All About Braising by Molly Stevens. If you love a good cookbook, this is one you should definitely not be without.