Ossobuco alla Milanese

Ingredients

• 4 veal shanks cut 4cm thick, about 300g each
• 50g plain flour, for dusting
• 70g unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large white onion
• 250ml dry white wine
• 600ml hot veal or beef stock
• Salt and black pepper
• Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
• 1 small garlic clove
• A large handful of flat-leaf parsley

Before you cook

• Cut three or four nicks through the membrane around the edge of each shank so it cannot curl in the pan.
• Tie a length of kitchen string around the circumference of each shank to hold the meat on the bone.
• Chop the onion very finely.
• Season the shanks on both sides with salt and pepper, dust them lightly with flour, and shake off the excess.

Steps

1. Melt 50g of the butter with the olive oil in a heavy pan just wide enough to hold the shanks in a single layer.
2. Lay the shanks in the foaming butter and brown them for four minutes on the first side without moving them.
3. Turn the shanks and brown the second side for another four minutes.
4. Lift the shanks out onto a plate.
5. Add the remaining butter and the chopped onion to the pan and lower the heat right down.
6. Cook the onion for ten minutes, stirring often, until it is soft, translucent and pale gold.
7. Return the shanks to the pan, standing them flat so the marrow stays in the bone.
8. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble for three minutes, until the harsh smell of alcohol has gone.
9. Add enough hot stock to come about two thirds of the way up the shanks.
10. Bring the liquid to a bare simmer, then cover the pan with the lid slightly ajar.
11. Cook very gently for one hour and 45 minutes, topping up with hot stock whenever the level drops below halfway.
12. Test the meat with a fork, which should give completely while the shank still holds together on the bone.
13. Chop the parsley, garlic and lemon zest together on a board until fine, then tip them into a small bowl.
14. Lift the shanks out, snip off the strings, and keep the meat warm.
15. Boil the cooking juices hard for three to four minutes, until they thicken to a glossy sauce.
16. Spoon the sauce over the shanks.
17. Scatter the gremolada over the top just before it reaches the table, so it stays sharp and fragrant.