Also known as osso buco, veal shanks are pan-seared, then slow cooked with vegetables in a beef stock until the meat falls off the bone. Enjoy with mashed potatoes.
Veal shanks can be purchased in your local butchers. You may need to pre-order them.
I tried this recipe as written the first time and I have to admit it was very good, however when I mentioned it to a friend of Italian ancestry he suggested instead of butter, I brown the shanks in pancetta fat. I chopped up about a 1/4 lb. of pancetta, fried it, removed it from the pan, drained off all but about 2 tbls of the fat and browned the shanks. I removed the shanks and used the same fat to saute the onions, added the wine and deglazed the pan. I added the previously fried pancetta with the other ingredients. I know it's not as healthy but it was absolutely delicious. The one thing he told me was, do not subsitute bacon, it has to be pancetta. - 20 Oct 2008 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
This has to be one of the best osso i have eaten, even better than some that I have had at Italian restaurants. I made it exactly as the recipe describes for a family dinner and everyone wanted the recipe. I have tried others out there but none as delicious as this. Hmmm I have to admit the meat basically melts in your mouth. This definitly will become a family favourite. - 07 Jul 2005 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
An excellent recipe by itself. Like others, I doctored a bit with some herbs like bay leaf and herbs d'province. The best advice I can offer to really enhance the flavors is to prepare this a day ahead of time, let it cool slowly, refrigerate overnight and warm at 325 for an hour, tightly sealed. This always works for me with dishes that include bone with marrow - 11 Sep 2006 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)