Bone with a hole...Rioja Ossobuco for two

Feeling for something earthy and heavy on a chilly weekend? How about a simplified Ossobuco?

Our Rioja Osso Buco, was inspired by Tyler Florence's Amarone Osso Buco Pot roast. We used a Spanish red: Rioga wine instead of Amarone. The Rioga was $10, a much better deal for cooking instead of a $60 Amarone =) Our version is much simplier and easier than Tyler Florence's version, but suited better for two. Michele is a big fan of Tyler Florence's recipes. He says that his recipes are not so complicated and are always very tasty.

We used the remaining half bottle of wine for risotto, our Risotto San Martino. We also didn't use the dutch oven, and used a cooking pot and transferred to a baking dish later on.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pieces veal shank for osso bucco
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
1 1/2 celery stalk, diced
1 carrots, diced
3 chopped garlic
one bunch of parsley
1/2 bottle Rioga wine ( we paired dinner with the other half)
1 can of diced tomatoes

Preparation:

Put flour in a large shallow platter and season it with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Taste the flour to make sure the seasoning is just right. Once it coats the veal it is harder to adjust the seasoning. Dredge the veal shank in the seasoned flour and then tap off the excess (extra flour will burn and make the dish off-tasting).

Heat a large pot over medium heat, with the olive oil and also butter. Slightly whirl the butter around for it to melt. Sear the veal shanks, turning carefully with tongs, until all sides are a rich brown caramel color. Remove the browned veal shanks to a side plate, but leave the leftover sauce at the bottom of the pot.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Using the same pot, saute the onion, celery, carrots and parsley over medium heat. Cook the vegetables down until they turn to brighter colors and develop a deep, rich aroma.

Season with salt and pepper; add a little oil if needed. Nestle the veal shanks back in the pot. Pour in the wine and let it simmer down for 20 minutes, until the wine has reduced by half, because that's how it gives it flavor, by the wine reduction.

Add the can of tomatoes and stir everything together, and simmer for another 10 - 15 minutes. Transfer the entire ingredients in the pot into a baking dish. Braise for 1 hour, with turning the meat every 30 minutes.

The sauce should be thick and the veal tender and nearly falling off the bone.

The meat was simply superb...we devoured the entire shank and sucked the marrow gone!