Slow-Cooked Veal Shank

Serving suggestion: On a bed of carrots and onions

It’s just becoming chilly around here and it all seems like we may have a very short autumn and that winter will come soon. However, for the past few days we have really had schoolbook autumn weather. Now, when the leaves start falling and your garden gets a little messy, you have two options: get out and clean it all up or procrastinate. This weekend, there is still a slight chance I may clean up the leaves (though I did hear that small animals use autumn leaves as shelter, so why mess with the natural order of things too much?), but I decided to make a slow-cooked dish first.

Now, I do not own a slow cooker, but I really believe that you do not need one for this veal shank recipe. It does take some time, but it is definitely worth it once you try the mouth-watering veal. If you cannot find a veal shank a beef shank will do (and will need a little more cooking time). So, here’s the recipe!

Slow-Cooked Veal Shank

Difficulty: Medium

Time: 2h

Ingredients

600g veal shank (mine was boneless and served 3)

Olive oil

Rosemary

Thyme

Oregano

Salt

Pepper

600ml chicken stock (1 cube will do)

2 teaspoons Bourguignon sauce (store-bought)

600ml milk

Cut the veal into 3 equal pieces and season with rosemary, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Sauté the meat in olive oil until slightly brown on all sides (takes about 3 minutes). Add two teaspoons of the Bourguignon sauce and stir quickly and add the milk. Cover the pot and let it simmer on low heat for ten minutes (most of the milk should evaporate, but not all of it). After the ten minutes have passed, add the chicken stock and cook (with a lid on again) for 20-25 minutes on low heat. Preheat your oven to 180°C (c. 350°F). Once the 20-25 minutes have passed, remove your pot from the stove and place it in the oven for about an hour (if dealing with beef, it may need up to 1h 15 minutes).