Sunday Dinner…my favorite time of the week. This is the day when we all sit down together and enjoy a delicious meal. Sometimes it’s elaborate and sometimes it’s simple; but I love the process…a glass of red wine in hand, the chopping, stirring, roasting, baking…the mouthwatering aromas of whatever is cooking on the stove or in the oven…the kids and hubby popping their heads into the kitchen asking “when is it going to be done??” I love Sundays…

Sunday Dinner today was Osso Buco…tender veal shanks braised in a tasty broth until tender and almost falling apart…served atop creamy mashed potatoes…I special ordered the veal shanks on Wednesday from my local butcher and picked them up this morning…They are well worth the wait! Hope you enjoy this meal as much as we did!

OSSO BUCO
8 pieces of veal shank cut 2″ thick, tied round with kitchen string
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 carrots, peeled & diced
3 celery, diced
2 leeks, rinsed & diced
1 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup white wine
3 cups chicken stock
2 rosemary sprigs
4 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dust each veal shank with the flour mixture. Heat the olive oil in a very large oven-safe pan. Brown the shanks on each side four to six minutes. Remove veal from pan and reserve on a large platter. Add the butter to the pan. Stir in the carrots, celery, leeks and onions, sprinkle with remaining salt. Sauté the vegetables until tender (about 8 minutes); adding in the minced garlic during the last minute of cooking. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for one minute. Pour in the white wine and the chicken stock and stir until combined. Add the veal shanks back into the pan and nestle into the broth. Tie the rosemary, thyme and bay leaves together with a piece of kitchen string and press on top of cooking juices. Sprinkle with lemon zest. Put a lid on the pan and place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until veal shanks are tender. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Enjoy!

Linda~