Roasted Veal Shanks with Orange and Fennel

Roasted Veal Shanks with Orange and Fennel

Ingredients

8 ‘osso buco’, select meaty center cut pieces…approximately 14-16 ounces apiece

kosher salt and pepper

flour for dredging

6 T olive oil

3 buds of star anise

3 whole dried red chiles

1 c sherry wine vinegar

3 c homemade veal or beef stock

3 medium sized fennel bulbs, trimmed

3 c peeled and sliced carrots

1 c fresh squeezed orange juice

1 c cooked and cooled peas, or frozen

2 oranges, peeled and segmented, freed of all connective tissue and filament

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. Season the veal shanks with the salt and pepper and dredge with the flour. Place the olive oil in large pan over medium high heat and brown the veal. Reserve to a platter.

Discard the fat from the pan. Add the vinegar, star anise and chiles, scraping the pan, reduce by half. Add the stock and reduce by 1/3rd.

Return the veal to the pan, cover and braise in the oven for 1 hour.

Slice the fennel lengthwise into sixths.

Uncover the veal, add the carrots, fennel and orange juice. Raise temperature to 400 and cook uncovered for another 45 minutes, basting as you go. The meat should be fork tender.

Reserve the meat and vegetables to a platter, discard the chiles and star anise, and return the pan to medium heat on your stove top and reduce liquids to sauce consistency.

Stir in the peas, season and serve over the shanks. Garnish with the orange sections