Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [89]
serve the meat with some of the vegetables and sauce poured over top and the remaining sauce on the side.
serves 4–6
Veal
Veal is the meat from a four-month-old calf and is not as popular in the United States as it is in Europe. I grew up on veal that my Italian grandmother prepared in so many delicious ways. I love its flavor and tenderness. The slow cooker does a great job with veal chops, braising them to melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
Veal Shanks Osso Bucco–Style
Osso bucco is a well-known dish from Lombardy and is traditionally served with risotto. Gremolata, a spicy mixture of garlic, lemon and orange zests, and Italian parsley, is typically sprinkled over the top of the finished dish, but adding it to the pot in the last hour of cooking brings a sparkle and intensity of flavor to the veal shanks. This stew is the perfect dish to serve to your family and friends when it’s cold and gray outside. Don’t forget the risotto!
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 meaty slices veal shank, cut 1½ to 2 inches thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
¼ cup tomato paste
2/3 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup beef broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
Grated zest of 2 lemons
Grated zest of 1 orange
½ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a large zipper-top plastic bag. Coat the veal shanks in the flour mixture and shake off the excess. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the shanks a few at a time and brown on all sides.
transfer the shanks to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Add the onion and carrots to the same skillet and sauté until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Add the wine and bring to a boil.
transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow-cooker insert Add the broths and stir. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Combine the garlic, citrus zests, and parsley in a small bowl. Add the garlic mixture to the stew and stir to combine. Cook the stew for another hour, until the veal is tender.
taste and adjust the seasoning and serve.
serves 6
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osso bucco savvy
Osso bucco literally means “bone with a hole.” Traditionally the shank is served with a tiny spoon to scoop out the marrow from the bone, which is considered a delicacy. I generally will scoop out the marrow and add it to the sauce for additional flavor.
Veal Chops Braised in White Wine and Sage
Veal chops are a luxury, and while expensive, they can be some of the best eating, especially when they are braised and served falling off the bone. Tomato, garlic, wine, balsamic vinegar, and sage make these veal chops a delicious meal. Serve on a bed of polenta or with a side of asparagus or butternut squash risotto. Pork chops, which are less expensive, may be substituted for the veal. Use the same preparation and cooking times.
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped dried sage leaves (see savvy)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 veal chops, 1 to 1½ inches thick
1 cup dry white wine or vermouth
One 15-ounce can crushed plum tomatoes, with their juice
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup golden raisins
make a paste with the salt, pepper, garlic, sage, and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small bowl. Rub the chops evenly with the mixture. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chops a few at a time and brown on both sides.
transfer the chops to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. You may have to stack the chops in two layers, depending on the size of your pot.
add the wine to the same skillet and allow some of it to evaporate. Add the tomatoes and scrape up any browned