Instructions
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius). Place the flour in a shallow dish. Season the veal shanks on all sides with salt and pepper. Roll each shank in the flour, coating it completely. Shake off any extra flour. Discard any unused flour. In a wide Dutch oven or heavy braising pot (6 to 7 quart), combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Heat over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and the oil is shimmering, carefully place the veal shanks into the pot, flat side down. If they do not fit, brown them in batches. Brown the shanks for about 5 minutes per side until well caramelized. Use tongs to turn them. If the oil and butter start to burn, slightly lower the heat. Remove the browned shanks and place them on a large platter or tray. Set aside. Pour out any fat from the pot. Use a damp paper towel to wipe out any burnt bits, keeping the caramelized bits. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pot. Melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter stops foaming, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, and fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook these vegetables for about 6 minutes, until they soften. Do not let them brown. Stir in the 3 cloves of garlic, orange zest, marjoram, and bay leaf. Cook for 1 to 2 more minutes. Add 1 cup of dry white wine to the pot. Increase the heat to high. Bring the wine to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the wine reduces by about half. Add the chicken stock and 1 cup of chopped tomatoes with their juice. Bring the liquid to a boil again. Boil for about 10 minutes, reducing the liquid to about 1 cup total. Carefully place the browned veal shanks back into the pot, bone side up. Pour any accumulated juices from the platter over the shanks. Cover the shanks directly with a piece of parchment paper, pressing it down so it almost touches the veal. The edges of the parchment should hang over the pot by about one inch. Place the lid tightly on the pot. Transfer the pot to the lower part of the preheated oven. Braise for about 2 hours. After the first 15 minutes, check the liquid. If it is simmering too fast, reduce the oven temperature by 10 to 15 degrees. After the first 40 minutes, turn the shanks and spoon some of the liquid over them. Continue braising until the meat is very tender and easily pulls away from the bone. While the shanks are braising, prepare the gremolata. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, and 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest. Stir them together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside in a cool place or refrigerate it. Once the veal is fork-tender, remove the pot from the oven. Remove the lid and the parchment paper. Sprinkle half of the prepared gremolata over the veal. Return the pot to the oven, uncovered, and cook for another 15 minutes. This will slightly caramelize the meat. Carefully remove the shanks from the braising liquid using a slotted spatula or spoon. They will be very tender, so handle them gently. The marrow inside the bones will be soft. If a shank breaks apart, do not worry, the flavor will still be excellent. Arrange the shanks in a single layer on a serving platter or large plate. Cover them with foil to keep warm. Place the braising pot on the stove. Check the sauce for any fat floating on top. If present, use a large spoon to skim off the fat and discard it. Taste the sauce. If the flavor is weak, bring it to a boil over high heat. Boil for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce the volume and strengthen the flavor. Taste again and adjust salt and pepper if needed. For extra flavor, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of the remaining gremolata. For serving, if the shanks are a good size, serve one per person. For very large shanks or smaller appetites, you can gently pull apart the meat into smaller portions. Be sure to offer the marrow bones. Arrange the warm veal shanks on dinner plates. Serve with risotto, if desired. Just before serving, sprinkle the remaining gremolata over the veal. Spoon a generous amount of sauce over each shank. The heat from the sauce will release the aromas of the garlic and lemon from the gremolata.