Quite a lot of the time I walk home from work and so on cold and snowy days, I trudge home and by the time I get there, I'm chilled and am looking forward to something warm and comforting. Like almost everybody else, I have limited time during the week to prepare meals. I do all the fiddly stuff at the weekends, but during the week, when my time is at a premium and the last thing I want to do after having been at the office for 10 hours is make a mess in the kitchen and then have to clean it up.
On cold and snowy workdays, I love my slow cooker almost as much as I love my husband, Cakes. After minimal effort the night before or first thing in the morning, I can walk in the door at 6 or 7, shake the snow off my feet and breathe in the smell of caramelized onion, tomatoes and veal without having to lift a finger. Heaven.
This classic braise would do well with veal, lamb or pork. I happened to choose veal shanks because that's what was on offer at the butchers.
Serves 4
- 4 x 3-inch thick slices of veal shank
- 1 large sweet onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 tin chopped plum tomatoes
- 2 cups good beef broth (or if you're really lucky, substitute veal glace)
- 1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest
- salt
- pepper
- 1/4 cup flour
- fresh parsley
Brown the shanks on either side in a bit of olive oil in a heavy frying pan. Pop them into your slow cooker. In the same frying pan, gently saute your onions and garlic until soft. pour the red wine into the pan and use a spatula to scrape all the good brown bits off the bottom of the pan into the red wine. Pour the contents of the pan into the slow cooker. Add all the rest of the ingredients. If you're making this ahead to be cooked later, just pop the whole slow-cooker insert into the fridge. When you're ready to make your braised veal shanks, turn the slow-cooker on low and let it go for 6 to 8 hours.
When it's ready, use a large slotted spoon to gently remove the shanks from the sauce and set the shanks aside on a plate. Pour the sauce into a saucepan, bring to the boil and thicken with a a bit of flour that's been shaken in a jar with some red wine or beef stock.
To serve, place the shanks in a bowl and top with the nice gravy and some fresh parsley. I served mine with a basic gremolata of lemon, parsley and garlic. It's also nice on top of a pile of fresh polenta or grits.
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
I can imagine how wonderful it would be to come home to these beautifully saucy shanks ... mmm!
Can I ask which brand and size of slow cooker you have, and if you're happy with it? Being a fan of All-Clad, I was thrilled to get their new 7-quart slow cooker for Christmas, but ended up returning it because it 7 quarts is WAY too big for me. I haven't replaced it yet, as I've heard conflicting reviews about various Rival/Hamilton Beech/Bravetti/West Bend models. I'd love any suggestions you might have.
Thank you!
Posted by: Tania | March 15, 2006 at 05:37 AM
Tania
I have a 5 quart Hamilton Beach (model #33550) that I bought for $35 at Home Depot. It's nice and pain looking and totally does the trick. It's got three settings, low, high and keep warm. The keep warm function is pretty handy. I'll put it on low for things I start on my way ut the door to work and I'll use high if I've not got all day to wait for something (for example if I've only got 3-4 hours for cooking)I bought it about 2 years ago and have probably used it an average of once a week. It does enough meat for 4-6 people comfortably without having to fill it so full that it spits. I'd totally buy the same one again.
Posted by: Lyn | March 15, 2006 at 10:04 AM
Thanks so much, Lyn! I will definitely check this one out. I bought two slow cooker cookbooks just after I got that 7-quart monster, and have been itching to use them. Soon ... soon!
Posted by: Tania | March 15, 2006 at 07:49 PM
I love my slow cooker too. Have not used it in a while (2 months) and this is reminding me I should.
Posted by: MM | March 19, 2006 at 10:05 PM
Help!!! Where can one buy veal shanks in Edmonton. My previous supplier no longer carries them.
Posted by: Don Waring | February 17, 2007 at 10:24 AM
Im looking where to find some veal too, I got it in my homeown and cant find a place that sells in Edmonton
Posted by: Zachary Mullin | September 24, 2009 at 05:25 PM