Osso Bucco in Red Sauce

The hubby and I look at the meat section at Wegmans every Sunday.  If we see veal shanks on sale, we snag them and nix whatever we were going to have for dinner.  This dish takes time, but is easy to prepare and comes out so rich and sumptuous it is worth the effort!

For the Veal Osso Bucco:

2 - 4 pieces veal shank

4 swirls EVOO, divided

1 large onion, large dice

1/2 bag baby carrots, whole or large dice

2-3 ribs celery, small dice, including any leaves

at least 3 garlic cloves, more if you like garlic

1 sprig rosemary

1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup good red wine

1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes

Kosher salt and pepper

Heat oven to 350 while preparing the ingredients.  In a large oven proof skillet, heat 2 swirls EVOO over medium high heat.  Sprinkle both sides of veal with salt and pepper.  Carefully place in skillet and cook until browned on both sides.  Don't try to lift up and peek under the meat.  Doing so will tear the meat and you won't get a nice browned side.  You will know the veal can be flipped when it releases easily.  Remove to a plate.  Put another swirl or two of EVOO into the pan and add the onion, carrots and celery, plus a large pinch of salt. The veggies will release some water, which will help pick up any browned bits on the bottom.  When the veggies are tender, stir in the garlic and rosemary; saute 1 minute.  Add the tomato paste and stir to combine/cook out.  Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits.  Carefully add the crushed tomatoes and stir.  Nestle the veal and any accumulated juices into the sauce.  Cover with an oven proof lid, or tightly with foil.  Place in the oven and cook until veal is falling off the bone, about 2 - 3 hours.  Remove from oven and season sauce with salt and pepper.

Remove the sprig of rosemary and serve veal over a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes, rice or my favorite, Parmesan polenta, making sure to give everyone a scoop of the rich sauce.

Beef Stew

This stew is hearty and filling, especially on a cold day.

For the stew:
1 -1.5# stew beef, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp EVOO
1/4 cup flour
1/2 bag baby carrots
1 large onion, cut into a large dice
8oz sliced mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, whole or smashed
1 Tbsp tomato paste
5 yukon gold potatoes, cut into small chunks
1/2# fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into pieces
4 cups beef stock and up to 4 cups water

In a large soup pot, cook the onion and carrots in 1 tablespoon or so of the EVOO. When slightly browned, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt; stir occassionally. When the mushrooms have browned, add the tomato paste and the garlic cloves.  Stir to incorporate the paste, about 2 minutes.  Add the beans, broth and water if needed to cover.  Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 the beef to the pan and cook until browned.  Use a slotted spoon to move the beef to the soup pot.  Add the remaining butter and oil to the pan, heat, and cook the second batch of beef.  When browned, sprinkle the flour over and stir.  If some of the flour won't mix in, add more butter or oil.  Add this entire mixture to the soup pot, making sure to scrape all the browned bits and any flour paste into the soup.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until the beef is tender, anywhere from 30min to 2hours, depending on the cut of beef.  Add the potatoes and enough water to cover. Increase heat to a slow boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 20min more.  Season with salt and pepper.