Instructions

1. To make a bouquet place the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf into the cheesecloth and secure with twine. This will be your bouquet garni. It’s a sachet of herbs.
2. For the veal shanks, pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Veal shanks will brown better when they are dry. Make sure the meat is secured to the bone with kitchen twine. This is something you can also ask your butcher to do when you are purchasing the veal shanks.
3. Season each shank with salt and freshly ground pepper. Dredge the shanks in flour, shaking off excess. In a large oven pot, heat vegetable oil until smoking. Add the veal shanks to the hot pan and brown all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
4. Remove browned shanks and reserve. In the same pot, add the onion, carrot and celery. Next, season with salt to help draw out the moisture from the vegetables. Saute until soft and translucent. Add the tomato paste and mix well.
5. Return browned shanks to the pan and add the white wine. Add the bouquet garni and 2 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone.
6. Check every 15 minutes, turning shanks and adding more chicken stock as necessary. The level of cooking liquid should always be about 3/4 the way up the shank.
7. Carefully remove the cooked shanks from the pot and place in a serving platter or individual plates. Remember to remove the kitchen twine and discard. I like to serve Ossobuco over a creamy polenta. Make sure to pour all the juices and sauce from the pot over the shanks. You can garnish with chopped parsley and lemon zest.