Columbus Day Dinner

This always makes me laugh

I hope that many of you enjoyed Monday off, but for many including Michael, they worked so I made a hot-pot of osso buco, just the ticket for a Columbus Day dinner.  Asiago Cheese “Jakes’ garlic bread and a Caesar salad made for a fine low-key holiday dinner.

I have several recipes for osso buco, but I have dwindled down the file quite a bit and basically stay with one or two versions and today I used the recipe that called for veal stew meat and I used the slow cooker instead of the oven.  It came out just as good as braising in the oven with little tweaks here and there, nothing too drastic from a previously posted recipe.

Osso Buco Style Stew

• 1.5-2 pounds veal or stew beef  (1 1/2 inch) cubes
• 1/2 cup AP flour, or enough to lightly dust the meat cubes
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6-8 peeled small whole white onions (the frozen pearl onions work well in this recipe)
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped and a nice small leafy piece to toss in the braise
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 5-6 San Marzano canned tomatoes hand squished
• 1 cup Kalamata pitted olives, halved
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs of fresh parsley
• 1 small sprig of fresh rosemary, maybe a 2-inch piece for just a hint of flavor

You can tie the herb sprigs together, easier to fish out before serving

• 2-3 strips of orange zest (zest of 2 clementines)
• 2 strips of lemon zest
• 2 bay leaves
• salt & pepper

• 5 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated, and a little orange zest

Preheat oven to 350°F

Heat the oil and butter in a Dutch oven medium-high heat.

Pat meat dry with paper towels,  season with salt & pepper, toss in flour, and shake off excess. Brown meat in batches. Set aside while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Reduce heat to medium and add the mall onions, saute for a minute or so and add the shallot, carrots,  celery and cook until soft ( the small onions will soften in the braise), add the garlic for the last 30-60 seconds.  Season with salt and pepper, toss in the wine, and scrape brown bits while wine is slightly reducing then add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a slight boil and add the meat

Crumple a piece of parchment paper and cover the stew, gently press down to the top of the stew to lightly cover, place the lid on the pot and braise for about 1-1/2 hours, check the liquid level and add a little more wine and stock if necessary as I did, continue braising for another 1/2-3/4 hour

When done, remove bay leaf, parsley, rosemary, and thyme stems.   Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mix gremolata ingredients together. Using a micro plane to grate both garlic & lemon zest will give a nice fine texture.

Serve over rice, risotto, roasted garlic mashed potatoes