I haven’t yet decided what it’ll be tonight in terms of wine - but I’m leaning California, either Pinot Noir or Cabernet. It’ll be paired with good quality burgers and undoubtedly fun toppings. And I’m thinking about tomorrow’s dinner to start the weekend - I think it’ll be mussels cooked in a nice sauce of white wine, onions, garlic, herbs, and tomato, with crusty Italian bread. And paired with Provence rose.
But last night - oh my.
I love taking requests for dinners, especially of the challenging nature. And so when my boyfriend requested veal osso buco, I realized I had never actually made it before, even though I’d had it in restaurants a few times. After some basic research and fortunately some common sense and kitchen know-how, I was ready. (Bear in mind, there are lots of ways to prepare lots of dishes, even classics can vary - for example, I pulled ingredient ideas from several recipes, and decided to place it on top of fettuccine, although I’d have preferred a heavier macaroni but didn’t have time to get to the Italian store before dinner, but it could just as easily be placed on mashed potatoes, polenta, or risotto - your choice!)
I went to the local butcher and got 2 veal shanks, each about 2 inches thick. I seasoned them on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper, and then dredged them in flour, before braising them (browning on each side in heated olive oil in the dutch oven on high heat for about 8 minutes per side). I removed them from the pot, lowered the heat a bit, added a bit more oil, and in went 2 chopped yellow onions, 1 peeled and chopped carrot, and one chopped celery stalk. Once they cooked down for about 5 minutes, I added finely chopped garlic (several cloves) and about 3 tbsp tomato paste, and stirred it in for a moment. I then added about 2 cups of dry white wine (please remember to use something decent - not expensive, but not something you wouldn’t drink - bear in mind, all “cooking” wine should be drinking wine as well), and used the wooden spoon to scrape the drippings. I added more kosher salt and black pepper, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, 3 large sprigs fresh thyme, about 14 oz rough chopped plum tomatoes from the can, and about 3 cups of chicken stock. Once they were stirred together and cooked for a few minutes back on high heat and brought to a boil, I returned the veal to the pot, submerged them in the liquid, covered it, and put it in the oven (preheated to about 350 degrees F), and cooked it for a good 2 1/2 hours.
In the meantime, it’s a good opportunity to boil the water for the macaroni and made a gremolata. What’s a gremolata, you ask? Basically, it’s almost pureed (I chop very finely by hand) herbs - I use parsley usually, with some kosher salt, black pepper, garlic, and I also use lemon zest (it’s I believe gremolata Milanese), and then add some olive oil. It’s that easy. I like to let it sit an hour or 2 so the flavors come together, and then add a bit more oil to loosen it up. The fresh brightness of the gremolata is great for picking up the osso buco, I decided, and it just works, plus it’s gorgeous on the plate.
Once the 2 1/2 hours are up, remove the dutch oven from the oven and if the sauce is a bit loose, which it probably will be since we had the pot covered in the oven, remove the lid and bring it to a boil on the stove, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, until the sauce reduces a bit.
Boil the macaroni, drain it, plate it in a fairly deep dish (individual serving plates), carefully top with the veal shank (I was going to use tongs but when I saw how it could fall apart if I did that, I used a large spatula instead - that worked well), and then ladle with some of the sauce. I then topped with about 2 teaspoons of the gremolata. And that’s it. It sounds like a lot of work, but it isn’t, really. It’s more about doing your homework and executing your recipe decisions fearlessly and confidently.
So - osso buco is a big deal, with big flavors and textures (especially when that glorious cooked marrow comes out of the bone (my dad once bought me an antique marrow spoon - there’s the perfect tool for that part of dinner!), but this means we need a fairly big wine with complexity and presence.
My boyfriend was in charge of the wine selection - and he picked the perfect bottle (and wisely suggested decanting - I recommend a good hour for this one). It was the 2011 Quinta do Vale Meao, a very traditional dry Portuguese red from Douro made from native Portuguese red grapes (mainly Touriga Nacional, which shows lots of dark, ripe fruit characteristics and floral notes of purple blossoms including violet and lilac), and it was quite the elegant and expressive wine, with plenty of mineral, a clean but rich feel, and an incredible finish. What a glorious pairing!
A little surprise came while dinner was near ready for consumption though - we decided to open a white just spur of the moment. I chose something fun and on the luxurious side - the 2000 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl Gewurztraminer from Alsace. Yes, that’s right, a 14 year old Gewurztraminer, from one of my favorite Alsatian producers. And it was probably the best Gewurztraminer I’ve ever had, which is saying a lot considering Gewurz is my favorite white grape and I’ve tasted plenty of good ones. The color was a rich gold with hints of orange, and it was somewhat different from what I anticipated, due to its age. It aged very gracefully indeed, and while the acidity had softened quite a bit and the expected lychee notes weren’t there, it was all about apricot, canned peaches, rich orchard fruit, some mango, pineapple and tropical fruits, honeysuckle and white blossoms, and even some savory herbs, with white mineral and a wonderful finish - well, we had our last glasses of it after dinner as the Yankees won, so it was the aperitif and digestif as well, and it was perfect. As my boyfriend remarked, “we’re going all top shelf tonight.”
Indeed.
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