This week, we're taking a look at a winter classic, courtesy of one of the most painful scenes in television history: the dinner party from The Office. Jan's (very) slowly-braised veal shanks are clearly seen served with Risotto alla Milanese, a classic saffron-scented version of the decadent Italian staple. Put it all together, and you've got the perfect dish to weather the winter - or at least the world's most awkward dinner party.
Ingredients
Osso Buco
2 medium carrots
1 medium onion
2 stalks celery
Flour
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
6 veal shanks
Butcher’s twine
Grapeseed oil
1-2 Tbsp of tomato paste
6 whole crushed cloves of garlic
2 ½ cups dry white wine
Fresh rosemary
Fresh thyme
2 cups beef stock
2 dried bay leaves
28-oz can San Marzano tomatoes
Risotto alla Milanese
1 small onion
4 cups high-quality chicken stock
Saffron threads
3 Tbsp butter
2 cups Arborio or carnaroli rice
1 cup dry white wine
Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2-3 Tbsp of unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Gremolata
Finely chopped parsley
Grated lemon zest
Grated garlic
Method
Osso Buco
First, make a mirepoix. To make a mirepoix, take 2 medium carrots, 1 medium onion, and 2 stalks of celery, and chop them into manageable bite-sized pieces.
Heavily season your flour with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Then use it to coat 6 veal shanks. Pat it down into the meat and flip to repeat on the other sides of each shank. To ensure the shanks’ structural integrity, tie each shank with a length of butcher’s twine.
Into a large dutch oven, heat some grapeseed oil over medium-high heat until shimmering before dropping in the veal shanks. Give each shank 3 to 5 minutes per side until you end up with a nice brown color on both sides. It is best to perform this step in two batches so that the shanks do not become overcrowded. After searing, you will end up with leftover browned food residue (fond) that will serve as the basis of great flavor when you are braising.
Pour your mirepoix into the dutch oven and sauté for about 5 minutes until it begins to soften and turn brown. Then, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and 6 whole crushed cloves of garlic. Once you have let that sauté for an additional minute or until fragrant, deglaze the pot using about 2 ½ cups of dry white wine. For a darker and more robust stew, use a dry red wine instead.
Scrape off all of the residue from the bottom of the pot. Add a couple sprigs each of fresh rosemary and thyme, 2 cups of high quality or homemade beef stock, and 2 dried bay leaves.
Pour the entirety of one 28-oz can of San Marzano tomatoes into a mixing bowl and crush them by hand. Then, add the crushed tomatoes to the braising liquid on medium-high heat, attempting to bring it up to a simmer as you begin to add your veal shanks into the pot side-by-side. Add a few extra marrow bones to the pot as well.
Bring the mixture up to a rolling simmer and partially cover the pot. Place the pot into a 325°F oven for 2 to 3 hours.
Once finished, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. The veal shanks should be tender enough to the point where you can easily pierce them with a paring knife. Get the marrow bones out of the pot and scoop out their soft rich interiors. Finely chop the interiors until it is almost a paste and add it to your risotto.
Remove the veal shanks from the pot and set them aside. Strain the leftover sauce into a medium saucepan, making sure to stir up and press down on the solids to extract every drop of the liquid. You should end up with a thin and oily sauce. Allow it to cool for a few minutes, skim all of the fat off of the top, and reduce for about 30 minutes until it is thick and syrupy.
For assembling, lay down a bed of risotto on a plate, place your veal shank over top and remove the string, and ladle the braising liquid along with some of the aromatic vegetables over top before garnishing with gremolata.
Risotto alla Milanese
Begin by finely mincing 1 small onion. Pour 4 cups of high-quality chicken stock into a small saucepan, bring it to a bare simmer, and add a pinch of saffron threads.
Into a larger saucepan, add 3 tablespoons of butter and place over medium-high heat until it is foaming. Then, add the finely minced onion to the pan. Use a flat wooden spoon or a rubber spatula and allow it to sweat for 1 to 2 minutes until it is just beginning to turn translucent.
To the large saucepan, add 2 cups of Arborio or carnaroli rice and toast it in the pan with the onion for 1 to 2 minutes until the edges of the grains of rice turn translucent. At this point, add 1 cup of dry white wine and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until the alcohol is cooked off.
Start adding your stock, which should be a golden brown color, 1 to 2 ladlefuls at a time. Once you have added enough stock to mostly saturate the rice, stir relatively frequently until you can drag your spoon across the bottom of the pot and leave a trail. Add 1 to 2 more ladlefuls of hot stock and repeat the process over medium heat until you have added anywhere from 3 to 3 ½ cups worth of stock and the rice is creamy and tender, but slightly al dente.
Turn off the heat and add a gracious amount of freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese as well as 2 to 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter.
After adding the bone marrow interiors to the pan, season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir to combine.
Gremolata
Combine some freshly chopped parsley, grated lemon zest, and grated garlic. Mix all of it up and add enough fresh parsley to make sure that it is easy to sprinkle.