Cooking seasonally makes sense for most of the contiguous U.S. In winter, it’s soups and casseroles, meaty roasts and indulgent desserts. Spring gives way to lighter, pan-seared specialties and the first precious stalks of asparagus, ramps and other harbingers of warmer weather to come.
Summer is all about grilling, salads and copious amounts of uber-sweet, at-their-peak fruit. And fall is perfect for braises, stews and every form of pumpkin known to man. Yes, cooking for the seasons is a perfectly reasonable thing to do, unless you live here.
It’s true because as I write this it’s 88° outside. Nowhere close to being seasonal fall weather. That’s what you get for living in the tropics. I read in the newspaper that this area shouldn’t expect to see temperature readings below 60° until mid-November. With forecasts like that, it’s a wonder we ever have any hearty, stick-to-your-rib meals down here.
If I truly cooked according to South Florida’s seasons — this would be nothing but a grilling and salad site, with two or three soups thrown in for those days when we have to wear long sleeves and our winter sandals (which cover slightly more of the foot than the summer variety – LOL!)
Anyway, I feel no such compunction to wait for the thermometer to tell me what I can and can’t eat. So here goes – simply mouthwatering, wine-braised veal shanks cooked with onions, carrots, mushrooms and about 2 whole heads of garlic! I know! YUM!
My Grandad was not a fan of garlic — rather he despised it and wouldn’t touch any food containing it — which was a challenge for my Mom who used fresh garlic in everything except her breakfast cereal!
But the garlic in this recipe is blanched before adding it to the braise, which takes all the sharpness away and yields a sweet, nutty flavor that will make you and your diners hunt for every last clove in the pot!
For those of you suffering the heat and humidity of a South Florida October, turn down your A/C and make this ode-to-fall. The rest of you — can just enjoy it!
Garlic Wine Braised Veal Shanks
Don't be afraid of the garlic in this dish -- its sweet and mellow, not at all sharp!
Ingredients
- 2 heads garlic
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 medium onion peeled, halved and thinly sliced vertically.
- 3 carrots peeled
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 3 pounds veal shanks about 4 shanks, with bones
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 10 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 rosemary sprigs fresh
- 4 thyme sprigs fresh
- 3 oregano sprigs fresh
- 1 cup beef broth or veal broth
- 1 cup red wine dry, I used a Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°.
- Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Break apart the garlic cloves and add them to the boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes. Drain the garlic and peel the cloves, discarding the skins.
- Set the garlic aside.
- Tie the herbs in a tight bundle using kitchen string and set aside.
- Pat the veal dry and sprinkle both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Carefully add the veal and brown for 3-4 minutes on each side, turning with a pair of kitchen tongs. Transfer the veal to a large plate or platter.
- Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the dutch oven and saute the carrots, celery and onion for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Transfer the vegetables to a small bowl. If the pan is dry, add a little more olive oil to it and add the garlic. Cook the garlic for 3-4 minutes, or until it starts to take on some color. Transfer the garlic to the bowl of vegetables. Add the mushrooms to the pan and sprinkle with a 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir the mushrooms and fit the lid on tightly. Cook mushrooms for 1-2 minutes until they give up their liquid and begin to brown. Transfer the mushrooms to the vegetable bowl.
- Add the wine to the pot and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and continue stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen the fond. Simmer for one minute, then add the broth and tomato paste, stirring until the tomato paste is evenly incorporated into the sauce.
- Add the vegetables and the herbs to the pot. Transfer the veal shanks to the pot, arranging them snugly into the broth with the vegetables. Add any accumulated juices from the plate. Cover and bring just to the boiling point, then transfer the covered pot to the oven and braise for 2 hours or until the shanks are tender.
More Hearty Braises:
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- Extra Stout Beef Carbonnade
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- Tex-Mex Braised Pork Stew
When fall arrives and most people are getting all jazz hand-sy over the arrival of pumpkin spice, I’m the girl who’s getting out her Dutch oven for a braise. 🙂 It’s my favorite fall cooking method, and your veal shanks sound absolutely divine. They look meltingly tender, and what deep, wonderful flavor you must get from the blanched garlic! I live in an area that tends toward crisp autumn days, but were I in Florida, I’d be cranking up my AC for this as well!
The blanched garlic gets tender and sweet and I think it pairs well with the veal. My dutch oven is one of my favorite kitchen tools – it always makes me happy!
I’m a firm believer in “everything tastes better with more garlic and onions”. The two heads of garlic in this recipe had my mouthwatering! I’ve never tried blanching garlic in a recipe that is braised like this because I usually find that the braising takes away most of the sharpness. Now I’m really curious to try it and see the difference!
Let me know how you like it!
Hmmm I’ll try this weekend and let you know!!
Delicious Lisa Love this meal. mashed potatoes with nice sauce.
Believe it or not — that’s mashed cauliflower — low carb!
We are still pretty warm here, but definitely cool enough to try such a delicious looking meal. I never knew the blanching garlic trick, that might come in handy. Thanks for sharing.
Melissa – don’t you just love little tips, tricks and hacks?
I’m with ya. I’m eating with the seasons, temperature be damned LOL
YES!!!
I love these mashed potatoes smothered in this yummy sauce. Such a delicious dinner!
mmm mmmm I’m going to see if I can find veal shanks at the grocery … weather in Ohio this week is topping out in the 60s and rainy. Perfect start to fall foods like this!
Lucky you, Noel!
Wow, these shanks look so good. My hubby would love them. Bookmarking!
What a beautiful dish! Braised veal shanks are hard to beat & yours look superbly delish!
Thanks so much!
I am literally laughing right now because it has been in the 80s here this last week, but I’m going through fall foods like they’re going out of fashion!
This looks fantastic! Can’t wait to make it!
Then you feel my pain! We’ll get a breath of cooler air in another few months (sigh!)
WOW! This looks super delicious. Can’t wait to try this out!
My husband loves veal, so I know he would love this. it looks like asuch a comforting dish.
MMMMmmmm this looks amazing! I love comfort food, and this is at its finest! Will definitely have to try this!
Glad you approve, Katrina! Let me know when you’re making it and I’ll bring a bottle of wine!