Braised Veal Shanks with Green Olives and Capers
- 3/4 cup unpitted brine-cured green olives (preferably cracked)* rinsed well
- 5 pounds 2-inch-thick veal shanks (6 to 8 shanks), each tied securely with kitchen string to keep meat attached to bone
- all-purpose flour for dredging
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium-large onion, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 anchovy fillet, chopped
- five 3- by 1/2-inch strips fresh lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tablespoons drained bottled capers
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
- Accompaniment: gremolata (recipe follows)
- Garnish: dried caper berries**
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic, or to taste
- *Cracked unpitted brine-cured green olives are available at specialty foods shops and Mediterranean markets.
- **Drained caper berries are available at specialty foods shops.
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Pit 1/4 cup olives and chop fine.
- Lightly crush remaining 1/2 cup olives with side of a large knife.
- Pat veal shanks dry between paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Dredge top and bottom (not side) of each shank in flour, knocking off excess.
- In a 12-inch heavy skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil and butter over moderately high heat until foam subsides and brown tops and bottoms of shanks in batches, about 2 minutes on each side.
- Transfer shanks as browned to a flameproof roasting pan.
- Wipe out skillet and add remaining tablespoon oil.
- Heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook onion, stirring, until golden.
- Add garlic and anchovy and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
- Add chopped olives, zest, capers, rosemary, and wine and boil 5 minutes.
- Add broth and crushed olives and bring to a boil.
- Pour broth mixture over shanks and cover tightly with foil.
- Braise shanks in oven 2 hours, or until meat is tender.
- Shanks may be prepared up to this point 2 days ahead and cooled, uncovered, before chilling, covered.
- Reheat shanks before proceeding.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325F.
- Transfer shanks with a slotted spoon to another roasting pan or deep oven proof platter and keep warm, covered, in oven.
- Strain cooking liquid through a sieve into a 1-quart glass measuring cup and reserve solids, discarding zest.
- Let liquid stand until fat rises to top and skim and discard fat.
- (There should be about 1 1/2 cups liquid.
- If necessary, in a saucepan boil liquid until it is reduced.)
- Add reserved solids to liquid and pour over shanks.
- Serve shanks sprinkled with gremolata and garnished with caper berries.
- In a small bowl toss all ingredients together well.
- Makes about 1/3 cup.
green olives, veal, flour, olive oil, unsalted butter, onion, garlic, anchovy fillet, capers, rosemary, white wine, lowsalt, caper, parsley, freshly grated lemon zest, garlic
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/braised-veal-shanks-with-green-olives-and-capers-10086 (may not work)