Ingredients
4 x 350-400g pieces of osso buco
Extra virgin olive oil
100g plain flour or corn flour, seasoned with salt & pepper
1 large white or brown onion
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
500g fresh borlotti bean pods (optional)
2 anchovy fillets
1 cup dry white wine
500ml tomato passata
1 cup veal or beef stock
2 large sprigs of fresh thyme
2 large sprigs of fresh sage
1 large sprig of fresh rosemary
1 fresh bay leaf
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced to a paste
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp finely chopped good quality anchovies
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
METHOD
Preheat oven to 160°C.
Dust the veal with the seasoned flour. Heat half the olive oil in a large pot and brown the veal osso buco pieces evenly on all sides. The veal should be well coloured but be careful not to burn the meat. This should take about 10 minutes. Once browned on all sides, remove from the pot and set them aside on a plate or in a baking tray.
Add the remaining oil to the same pot to which you browned the veal and then add the diced onion, garlic, anchovy and herbs and sauté slowly for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Turn heat up and then add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Cook until the wine is almost completely reduced before adding the borlotti, passata and veal stock. Bring to a simmer and place the veal pieces back into the pot. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
Transfer to oven. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the cut but will take somewhere between 2.5 to 4 hours. The veal should be fork tender, meaning the meat easily separates from the bone when you touch it. Do not remove until meat is falling off the bone!
To make the purée, combine the garlic, anchovy, parsley, lemon zest & juice. Serve veal pieces with equal portions of either - mashed potato, polenta or saffron risotto and spoon over sauce. Add a dollop of the dressing just before serving.
Tip – cook extra & make an easy 2nd meal. For the 2nd meal option, save some sauce and meat aside & break up the meat with a fork into small, shredded pieces. Heat and stir through freshly cooked pasta – I like linguini. Be sure to add a drizzle of olive oil, lots of chopped fresh parsley and grated parmesan.
