Meat

As I walk into the kitchen, I smell the scent of meat. I look at chef's table, and strung across it is many different cuts of meat, arranging from beef and veal, to pork and duck. I immediately knew that it was going to be a good day.

My team was given the task of braising the veal shank, or Osso bucco. It seemed like a small recipe, as it was just one shank, and we went in to it thinking that all was easy and well. What we didn't realize was the fact that the Osso bucco was such an intricate and delicate recipe that needs constant attention and love.

 First the meat was de-boned, as to allow for it to be sliced for all, and the marrow bones were kept for later use. Next, we tie the meat and dredge in flour, as to produce a good sear and provide the braising liquid with beautiful fond. Next, we sear the meat, allowing for a beautiful golden-brown crust, which adds more to the braising liquid. Next, we deglazed with white wine, as to allow for the fond that is sticking to the pan to lift, flavoring the liquid even farther. We add tomato and veal stock and let it braise for hours, almost six in total. When the meat is done, we take the meat out of the sauce, and slice it thick. We place the marrow bones in the stock so the marrow will cook, and we begin to reduce the braising liquid. As we plate, we place the marrow bones in the center, placing the meat around them. We pour the beautiful sauce over the meat and garnish with gremalata and rosemary flowers, both adding flavor and looking beautiful. What a beautiful dish we had the chance to make.

Italian Word of the Day: Brassato, Italian for Braised

Braised dishes riddle the Italian culture, as they have the perfect ways of making them. Also, due to the fact that they don't cram grain down cow's and pig's faces, the meat is not that marbled, so braising meat is the next best thing.