Braised Veal Shanks in Hot & Sour Sauce
Submitted by fhanvey
Veal shanks braised in a bold Asian-inspired sauce of balsamic vinegar, teriyaki, mirin, and chili garlic paste with mushrooms and tomatoes. Fork-tender after 90 minutes in the oven.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
1 hrsCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsThis is osso buco by way of Tokyo. Veal shanks get the classic sear-and-braise treatment, but the sauce veers hard into Asian territory with homemade teriyaki, balsamic vinegar, mirin, chili garlic paste, and a finish of toasted sesame oil. The result is deeply savory, tangy, and gently spicy all at once.
Two cups of balsamic vinegar reduced with diced tomatoes and green peppercorns creates the “sour” backbone. As it cooks down by half on the stovetop, the vinegar mellows from sharp acidity into a syrupy, complex tang. The “hot” comes from chili garlic paste, which builds slow heat without overwhelming the delicate veal.
The homemade teriyaki sauce alone is worth making. Soy sauce, sugar, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic, and scallions simmered together produce a glaze with far more depth than anything from a bottle. Twelve cloves of garlic in the braise on top of that means this dish is unapologetically bold.
Pro Tips
- Sear the shanks in smoking hot peanut oil until deeply browned on all sides. This crust adds flavor and helps the meat hold its shape during the long braise.
- Make the teriyaki sauce first and let it cool completely. Adding hot sauce to a hot pan with vinegar can cause splattering.
- Skim the fat from the braising liquid after the shanks come out of the oven. The defatted sauce is where the clean, intense flavor lives.
- The sesame oil goes in at the very end, off the heat. Cooking it kills its fragrance.
Variations
- Beef short ribs: Substitute bone-in short ribs for the veal shanks. Same braise time, even richer result.
- Milder version: Reduce the chili garlic paste to 1 tablespoon and the balsamic to 1 cup for a gentler balance.
- Serve with: Steamed jasmine rice or creamy polenta to soak up the braising sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
Teriyaki Sauce:
Place all ingredients in a small saucepan over moderate heat.
Bring to a boil to allow the sugar to dissolve.
Remove from heat and cool before using.
Makes 1¼ cups.
Veal Shanks:
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
In a large skillet over high heat, heat half the peanut oil until it begins to smoke and sear veal shanks until they are brown on all sides.
Remove shanks from the pan and set them aside.
Lower heat to moderate and add the remaining peanut oil.
When hot, put in the garlic, onion, mushroom caps and tarragon and cook, while stirring, until the onion is translucent.
Add the tomatoes, vinegar and green peppercorns and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
Add the Teriyaki Sauce, water, mirin, chili and garlic paste, and brown sugar.
Bring mixture to a boil.
Return veal shanks to the skillet, cover, place in oven, and cook until the meat is fork tender, approximately 1½ hours.
Skim any fat that accumulates on the surface of the braising sauce; add sesame oil to defatted sauce and serve.
Serves 6
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