Ossobuco alla Milanese (Milanese veal shanks)

For ➍
2 tbs olive oil
25 g flour, to dust
4 pieces of veal shank, about 4 cm thick
50 g butter
1 onion, finely chopped*
1 carrot, finely chopped*
1 celery stick, finely chopped*
1 head of garlic, cut horizontally
2 strips of lemon zest
4 sage leaves
20 cl white wine
20 cl chicken stock
flour
gremolada

Set a casserole dish wide enough to hold the meat in one layer over a high heat. Add the oil. Put the flour on to a small plate and season generously, then use to coat the meat. When the oil is hot, add the meat to the pan and brown well on both sides until golden and crusted. Set aside on a plate.
Turn the heat down and add ¾ of the butter to the pan. When melted, add the onion, carrot and celery, plus a sprinkle of salt, and cook until soft. Add the garlic halves, lemon zest and sage to the pan and cook for a few m more.
Turn up the heat then add the wine to the pan. Return the meat, standing it on top of the vegetables, and bubble until the wine has reduced by half. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer.
Turn the heat right down, cover and simmer for 1½ to 2 h, carefully turning the meat over every 30 m, until it is tender enough to cut with a spoon. Meanwhile, mix together the gremolada ingredients.
Dot with the remaining butter and allow to melt into the sauce, then serve with the gremolade and risotto alla Milanese or wet polenta.

*Double the vegetables for a tastier result.

This recipe was suggested by the Guardian to be the best Milanese ossobuco, after comparing several recipes.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2014/mar/06/how-to-cook-perfect-osso-buco.

Gremolada 2

For ➍
1 unwaxed lemon, zest finely grated
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
3 tbs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
pinch of sea salt

Mix together ingredients.
Serve with ossobuco alla Milanese.

Try a slightly different gremoloda, mostly used when making tomato-based ossobuco.

Ossobuco with tomatoes

For ➍
4 veal shanks of 300 g each (approx. 5 cm thick with bone and marrow)
12 cl /8 tbs olive oil
1 large onion
2 carrots
3-4 celery stalks
2 bay leaves
25 cl white wine
400 g canned diced tomatoes***
50 cl herbal stock
flour
pepper (& salt*)
Parmigiano cheese
gremolada
saffron risotto** or penne pasta**

Make cuts in the rind of the shanks. Brush oil on the shanks. Dust veal shanks in flour. Heat oil in a (preferably) low pot. Brown the veal shanks on both sides, remove from the pan and set aside.
Fry cleaned, washed and chopped vegetables in remaining drippings. Add bay leaf, extinguish with white wine, tomatoes and stir.
Add (salt), pepper, herbs, stock and the shanks. The shanks should be immersed but not covered by the liquids. Simmer for 90 m. (Remove the lid to reduce the liquids).
Put shanks and sauce on a platter. Sprinkle with the gremolada.
Serve with risotto or penne pasta and freshly grated Parmigiano.

Gremolada

For ➍
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbs grated (untreated) lemon zest*
1 bunch parsley, chopped

Finely chop garlic, mix with lemon zest and chopped parsley.
Serve with ossobuco.

*Use other citrus zests instead.