Entrée – Beef
Braised Osso Bucco with Bacon

This recipe was featured on "You're the Chef" episode #709. Buy this episode from WVIA.

Yield: four dinner

Ingredients:

1 c.	bacon, cut into thick pieces
1 c.	all-purpose flour
2 tsp.	salt
1 tsp.	ground black pepper
2 1/2 lb.	veal shanks, 3" cross cut
3/4 c.	Spanish onions, sliced
1 1/2 c.	carrots, diced
1 1/2 c.	tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp.	parsley, chopped fine
2 each	sprigs rosemary
1 Tbsp.	marjoram, chopped fine
1 c.	dry white wine
3 c.	water (enough to cover the shanks
to taste	salt
to taste	black pepper

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Procedure:
Over medium-high heat in a sauté pan, render the bacon until it is crisp and brown. Drain the bacon and discard the fat.

Thoroughly combine the flour, salt and pepper.

Dredge the veal shanks in the flour mixture.

In a large braiser or heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat, add the veal shanks to the pan (without overcrowding the pan) and brown the pieces on both sides. Remove any browned pieces of veal to oven roasting pan.

Add the vegetables to the same pan you cooked the veal in, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan until the vegetables are lightly browned.

Add the herbs and water and stir until all the drippings are dissolved and the liquid in the pan is lightly thickened.

Pour the liquid, vegetables and herbs over the veal in the oven pan and cover it tightly with a lid or aluminum foil. Cook the veal for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork.

Remove the shanks and vegetables to a serving platter and keep warm.

Over high heat, bring the sauce to a boil and reduce it in volume by 1/2 to concentrate the flavor and thicken it slightly.

Season the sauce. Serve one shank and vegetables in the sauce over your favorite pasta or rice.