Yes, I found a way to deal with the Mad Cow scare. One of my readers, Jody from Alaska, pointed out that organic beef is a good option. That way, the cows are raised humanely, eating grass, instead of potentially contaminated feed. So, problem solved, I headed to whole foods, and bought some gorgeous veal shanks.
My goal was to mimic a dish I made a few years ago, and you can actually find the recipe at Food and Wine, if you have the current issue or are a subscriber. I decided to improvise and the experiment came out amazingly well.
Veal Ragu for 2
2 veal shanks
a handful of baby carrots
1 onion sliced thin
red wine (I used a cab/shiraz blend)
3/4 cup beef broth
2 cloves garlic
vegetable oil
flour, salt & pepper
1 tabspoon tomato paste
Salt and pepper shanks, then lightly coat in flour. In large skillet, add just enough oil to coat bottom of pan, and over medium high heat, brown shanks on both sides, then set meat aside. Add sliced onion and garlic to pan, and cook until lightly brown and soft. Add a splash of wine, say two tablespoons, to the pan and cook for a few more minutes.
In a small dutch oven, add onions and garlic, then carrots, then place shanks on top. Add 3/4 cup beef broth, 3/4 cup red wine, one bay leaf, and sprig of rosemary. Cover tightly, and cook at 350 degrees for about 2 and a half hours, turning the shanks every 45 minutes or so.
Remove from oven, and take shanks out and set aside. Add a heaping tablespoon of tomato paste to sauce in pan, and another two tablespoons of wine. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Cook pasta, then serve with shanks and sauce spooned over.
Enjoy!
:) Pam
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