My beloved hair stylist has been researching his heritage, which includes Italian heritage. I suggested that he throw a dinner party featuring the different countries of this heritage, with a different course representing a different country. He recalled that he really missed his Mom’s Ossobuco. I sent him my recipe that when made with love makes everyone happy! Kelly’s Ossobuco: Purchase the Veal Ossobuco (One per person). Day Before Prep – A ½ portion of diced CELERY and a ½ portion of diced CARROTS. Run a large ONION through the food processor, drain any juice off. Reserve these 3 ingredients for the big Buco cook. Regarding the portion sizes of the celery and carrots, for 2 Veal Bucos use a ½ cup of diced carrots and a ½ cup of diced celery. If you are cooking 4 Veal Bucos, double the carrots and celery. Making the Buco – you will need 2 bowls and a large sturdy pot for the stove (like a roast pot). This dish will simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Bowl 1 – Mix a ¼ part RED CAYENNE PEPPER and a ¾ part PAPRIKA (Mix enough to coat the veal) Don’t do equal parts of the pepper and paprika. You can always add more heat later… Bowl 2 – FLOUR. Thaw and rinse the veal. This will allow the seasoning to stick to the veal. Dip the Veal into the mixed red cayenne pepper and paprika. Then, dip the Veal into the flour. Sear each side of the Veal, briefly, in your large pot on the stove. I use OLIVE OIL to sear it. Olive oil burns quickly. DO NOT BURN THE OIL, OR THE BUCCO. REMOVE THE VEAL TO A PLATE ONCE SEARED AND RESERVE IT UNTIL THE SAUCE IS MIXED. YOU WILL NEED TO WATCH THIS OR USE ANOTHER OIL IF YOU CAN’T KEEP FROM BURNING IT. The Ratatouille Sauce – In the same oil (that now has delicious spice drippings from the veal was seared and not burned), add the diced carrots and diced celery. You may need to add some more olive oil. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are slightly tender. Stir and toss. Add the minced onion and cook for 3 minutes more. Stir and toss. Add to the root vegetables:
• 1 small can of TOMATO PASTE. Stir and incorporate completely, while heating and cooking.
• Little by little, 2 small cans of TOMATO SAUCE (8 oz each). Keep stirring and cooking.
• 1 and ½ cups of BEEF BROTH. Add little by little. Keep stirring and cooking.
• A generous 1 cup of good MALBEC ARGENTINA WINE. (more will be added later.
• Mix this very well.
Now, add the seasoned and seared Veal back into the pot with the ratatouille sauce. On low heat, let this simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Skim off the “fat” occasionally and add a little beef broth and a little Malbec wine to keep the level of sauce up to your serving portion. The Pappardelle Pasta – This dish is best served over PAPPARDELLE PASTA. You can prepare the pasta a few hours prior to serving, which frees you up to set the table or work on the other courses. You have to stir this pasta more because the large noodles tend to stick to each other. Once I put the pasta into the hot water, I top it off with olive oil (about ¼ cup). Cook it al dente. Rinse it with water to keep the large noodles from sticking. Then, sprinkle a generous amount of olive oil on it and let that drain off. HEAT JUST PRIOR TO SERVING.
When ready, place a Veal Ossobuco per person on a bed of Pappardelle Pasta. You can sprinkle on some fresh herbs. Dedicated Italians prefer to squeeze fresh lemon over the top just prior to eating the dish. (Be sure to remove the lemon seeds if you provide everyone with their own lemon wedge and set the table with marrow scoops. Happy heritage hunting, course by course! © Kelly McBride Loft