How to make braised veal shanks with porcini and gremolata: a rich, meaty slow-cooked Italian classic
- This veal dish is bursting with umami flavours from the porcini mushrooms, marrow and anchovies, and is contrasted with a citrusy gremolata
- Use your largest pan to cook the meat in one layer; you can use two pans if you need more room
I love veal shanks because the bones are filled with rich marrow and, when cooked low and slow, the meat has a silky texture. In this dish, the veal is cooked with porcini mushrooms, anchovy fillets and other umami-rich ingredients.
At the end, the flavours are brightened with a citrusy gremolata sauce.
Braised veal shanks with porcini and gremolata
You will need a wide skillet to hold the meat in one layer; if you don’t have one large enough, divide the ingredients between two pans. I cook this dish in the oven because the heat is more even, but it can be cooked over a low flame on the hob.
If possible, choose larger (in diameter) pieces of veal shank because they have more meat and, just as important, more of the delicious bone marrow.
The inclusion of salted anchovies doesn’t make the dish taste fishy, but gives the sauce a richer, deeper flavour.
Ingredients
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6 meaty veal shanks, 4cm (1½ inches) thick and weighing about 250 grams (9 oz) each
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45 grams (1½ oz) unsalted butter, divided
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About 45ml (3 tbsp) cooking oil, divided
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2 carrots, about 250 grams (9 oz) each, divided
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2 celery stalks, divided
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2 onions, divided
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30 grams (1 oz) dried porcini
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300ml (1¼ cups) dry white wine
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2-3 salted anchovy fillets, drained then roughly chopped
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250ml (1 cup) unsalted chicken or beef stock (or more as needed), preferably home-made
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White flour
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Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
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For the gremolata:
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30 grams (1 oz) Italian parsley leaves
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1 small garlic clove
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Zest of one lemon, finely grated
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About 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
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60ml (4 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
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1 Tie kitchen twine firmly around the perimeter of each veal shank (to help keep its shape as it cooks). Sprinkle salt lightly over the entire surface of the meat.
2 Roughly chop a carrot, a celery stalk and an onion. Rinse the porcini briefly under cold water, then put them in a bowl, cover with 200ml (¾ of a cup plus 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp) of warm water and leave to soak until the mushrooms are hydrated. Drain by straining the soaking liquid through a small sieve into a bowl, then roughly chop the porcini.
3 Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit). Heat 30 grams (1 oz) of butter and 30ml (2 tbsp) of cooking oil in a large, wide skillet set over a medium flame. When the fat is hot, dredge the veal shanks in flour, shake off the excess and brown the meat, a few pieces at a time, turning as needed. After browning the meat, put it on a plate. If there is a lot of fat in the skillet, pour off most of it, leaving about 45ml (3 tbsp) in the pan. (If the pan seems dry, add more oil so there is about 45ml.)
4 Add the chopped vegetables to the pan and stir to coat with the fat, then sprinkle lightly with salt. Pour in the wine, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
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5 Stir in the porcini, the soaking liquid, anchovies and the chicken or beef stock and bring to the boil. Return the veal shanks to the skillet, nestling the pieces in among the vegetables. Heat until the liquid is simmering, then cover the pan with the lid.
6 Place the pan in the oven and cook at 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit) for two to three hours, or until the meat is very tender. While it is cooking, take the pan from the oven about every 30 minutes and carefully turn over the veal pieces. The liquid should reduce to a rich sauce that lightly coats the meat; if it reduces too much before the veal is tender, stir in more chicken or beef stock.
7 When the meat is tender, carefully lift the pieces from the skillet and put them on a plate. Using a large, slotted spoon move the vegetables to a sieve set over a bowl. Press them firmly to extract as much liquid as possible, then discard the vegetables. Stir the liquid back into the pan. If the sauce is too runny, heat it over a medium flame until it is thick enough to lightly coat the meat. Taste the sauce for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if needed. Remove the string from around the veal and discard, then return the meat to the pan.
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8 Finely dice the remaining carrot, onion and celery. In another skillet, heat 15 grams (½ oz) of butter and 15ml (1 tbsp) of cooking oil. Add the vegetables and sauté briefly, then gently stir them into the other ingredients. Cover the pan with the lid and simmer over a low flame for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
9 Make the gremolata. Finely chop the parsley and garlic, then mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. Season with about one-eighth of a teaspoon of fine sea salt, or more to taste. Stir in more lemon juice if needed so the gremolata is pleasantly acidic.
10 Spoon the veal, sauce and vegetables onto plates. Top each portion with a dollop of gremolata. Serve with small spoons for scooping the marrow from the bones.
Styling: Nellie Ming Lee
This recipe is from the Post Magazine archives
