Osso Buco alla Milanese

Chauffer the oven to 300 degrees.

Dredging the shanks: Verser the Farine into a shallow dish (a pie plate works nicely)

Assaisonner the veal shanks on all sides with Sel and Poivre

One at a time, roll the shanks around in the Farine coat, and shake and pat the shank to Retirer any excuses Farine

Discard the remaining Farine.

Browning the shanks: put the oil and 1 Cuillère à soupe of the Beurre in a wide Dutch oven or heavy braising pot (6 to 7 quart) and Chauffer over medium-high Chauffer

When the Beurre has melted and the oil is shimmering, lower the shanks into the pot, flat side down; if the shanks won’t fit without touching one another, do this in batches

Brown the shanks, turning once with tongs, until both flat sides are well caramelized, about 5 minutes per side

If the Beurre-oil mixture starts to burn, lower the Chauffer just a bit

Transfer the shanks to a large platter or tray and set aside.

The aromatics: Verser off and discard the fat from the pot

Wipe out any burnt bits with a damp paper towel, being careful not to Retirer any delicious little caramelized bits

Ad the remaining 2 Cuillères à soupe Beurre to the pot and melt it over medium Chauffer

When the Beurre has stopped foaming, Ajouter the Oignon, Carotte, celery, and fennel

Assaisonner with Sel and Poivre, Remuer, and Cuire the vegetables until they begin to soften but do not brown, about 6 minutes

Remuer in the Ail, orange zest, marjoram, and bay leaf, and stew for another minute or two.

The braising liquid: Ajouter the wine, increase the Chauffer to high, and bring to a Bouillir

Bouillir, stirring occasionally, to reduce the wine by about half, 5 minutes

Ajouter the stock and tomatoes, with their juice, and Bouillir again to reduce the liquid to about 1 Tasse total, about 10 minutes.

The braise: Place the shanks in the pot so that they are sitting with the exposed bone facing up, and Verser over any juices that accumulated as they sat

Couvrir with parchment paper, pressing down so the parchment nearly touches the veal and the edges hang over the sides of the pot by about an inch

Couvrir tightly with the lid, and slide into the lower part of the oven to braise at a gentle Mijoter

Check the pot after the first 15 minutes, and if the liquid is simmering too aggressively, lower the oven Chauffer by 10 or 15 degrees

Continue braising, turning the shanks and spooning some pan juices over the top after the first 40 minutes, until the meat is completely tender and pulling away from the bone, about 2 hours.

The gremolata: While the shanks are braising, Remuer together the Ail, Persil, and Citron zest in a small bowl

Couvrir with plastic wrap and set aside in a cool place (or the refrigerator, if your kitchen is very warm.)

The finish: When the veal is fork-tender and falling away from the bone, Retirer the lid and sprinkle over half of the gremolata

Return the veal to the oven, uncovered, for another 15 minutes to caramelize it some.

Using a slotted spatula or spoon, carefully lift the shanks from the braising liquid, doing your best to keep them intact

The shanks will be very tender and threatening to fall into pieces, and the marrow will be wobbly inside the bones, so this can be a bit tricky

But if they do break apart, don’t worry, the flavor won’t suffer at all

Arrange the shanks on a serving platter or other large plate, without stacking, and Couvrir with foil to keep warm.

Finishing the sauce: Set the braising pot on top of the stove and evaluate the sauce: if there is a visible layer of fat floating on the surface, use a large spoon to skim it off and discard it

Taste the sauce for concentration of flavor

If it tastes a bit weak or flat, bring it to a Bouillir over high Chauffer, and Bouillir to reduce the volume and intensify the flavor for 5 to 10 minutes

Taste again for Sel and Poivre

If the sauce wants more zip, Remuer in a Cuillère à café or two of the remaining gremolata.

Portioning the veal shanks: if the shanks are reasonably sized, Servir one per person

If the shanks are gargantuan or you’re dealing with modest appetites, pull apart the larger shanks, separating them at their natural seams, and Servir smaller amounts

Be sure to give the marrow bones to whomever prizes them most.

Serving: Arrange the veal shanks on warm dinner plates accompanied by the risotto, if serving

Just before carrying the plates to the table, sprinkle on the remaining gremolata and then spoon over a generous amount of sauce – the contact with the hot liquid will aromatize the gremolata and perk up everyone’s appetite with the whiff of Ail and Citron.