Osso Buco over Polenta

Ingredients

Osso Buco Ingredients

• 12 veal shanks with bone (ask for osso buco cut) 2½- to 3-inch thick
• 24 oz diced uncured pancetta
• Olive oil for browning
• 1-2 sticks of butter
• 2 – 32 oz chicken stock
• 6-8 large shallots, chopped
• 8 carrots, chopped
• 6 boxes of Pomì tomatoes, diced
• 6 sprigs of thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 bottle of dry white wine like Pinot Grigio
• 6 bay leaf
• 8-10 cloves of garlic
• 24 oz veal demi-glace

Gremolata Ingredients

• 4 large bunches of parsley
• 6 heads of garlic
• 12 lemons
• 1 large bunch mint

Polenta Ingredients

• 4 packages pre-made polenta
• 16 ounces of mascarpone
• 64 ounces of heavy cream
• 1 small block parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. 2
   Salt and pepper the veal shanks and coat in flour. Set aside.
3. 3
   In a large, deep oven-safe skillet, sauté pancetta stirring frequently till they yield fat and crisp up. Remove pancetta and set aside. Use the oil it yields in the pan to brown the shanks on each side, about 5-6 minutes. Add butter as needed to brown the meat. Shanks should be golden brown and crisp. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
4. 4
   In the same pan, add some oil over medium high heat. Then sauté carrots and shallots for 2-3 minutes. Then add 8 cloves of garlic, leaving whole. Once shallots become translucent, add 2 cups of white wine, demi-glace, Pomì tomatoes, bay leaves, and sprigs of thyme. Return meat back into the pan, cover and slow cook in the oven for 2 hours.
5. 5
   After two hours, remove meat from the skillet. Continue to heat sauce on high and add chicken stock and ½ stick cold butter to thicken sauce. Add more butter as needed to thicken the sauce.
6. 6
   To make gremolata, start by finely chopping parsley, mint, and grating garlic and lemon zest. Stir well to combine. Set aside.
7. 7
   To make polenta, break apart the premade polenta into a large pot with chicken stock while stirring over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. When liquified, whisk in mascarpone and heavy cream until smooth and creamy. Add ½ cup grated parmesan and continue to whisk in. Add salt and pepper to taste as needed.
8. 8
   To serve, place polenta on a large platter and top with meat and sauce. Garnish top with more grated parmesan, some of the gremolata and serve the extra on the side.