| | Milanese Styled Braised Veal 1 1/4 pound of veal top round, trimmed of fat & cut into 3/4 inch cubes 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil 3 carrots, coarsely chopped 2 celery stalks, trimmed & coarsely chopped 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, 1 crushed, 1 chopped 2 1/2 pounds of ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded & chopped or two 14 ounce cans of plum tomatoes 1/3 cup of dry white wine 2 bay leaves 2 strips of lemon zest 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh mixed herbs, (thyme, oregano, parsley) 1/4 teaspoon of salt freshly ground black pepper 1 lemon, grated zest only |
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Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a flameproof casserole over high heat, add one third of the veal, and brown the cubes on all sides, turning constantly, about 3 minutes. with a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining two batches of veal, draining each batch on fresh towels. Add the remaining oil to the casserole and lower the heat. Add the chopped carrots, celery, and onion to casserole, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of pan. Cover the casserole with a lid, and cook the vegetables over the lowest possible heat for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 300ºF. Uncover the casserole, and add the crushed garlic, veal, tomatoes, wine, bay leaves, the strips of lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of mixed herbs, salt, and some pepper. Bring the mixture slowly to a boil, stirring, then cover with wax paper or foil and replace the lid. Braise the meat in the oven for two hours or until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally.Before serving, mix together the chopped garlic, remaining herbs, and the grated lemon zest. Remove the bay leaves, and strips of lemon zest from the casserole, transfer the contents of the casserole to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with the garlic, herb, and lemon mixture over the top. Serve hot. |