Barbara Lynch's Pappardelle with Tangy Veal Ragu

Jamie and I had our friends Allen and Colleen over for dinner last night. We'd been trying to get them over for a while, so I wanted to make something special. My brother-in-law bought me a great cookbook for Christmas last year, "Stir" by Barbara Lynch. I've already made a few things in there, but just found this really great recipe. It's definitely not a quick thing to throw together, so make sure you've got at least 4 hours free before you want to eat. It's delicious! The marrow from the bones really makes the sauce rich and silky, and the long braise make the meat incredibly tender. The flavors are intense, and paired with fresh pasta it's an amazing winter meal. (Dried pasta would be fine too, but fresh can't be beat.)

Followed this with a light salad and some pecan pie.



Serves 6
Ingredients:
4 pounds thick veal shanks (4-6 shanks, depending on thickness) or a whole veal shank, tied
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup flour for dredging
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups dry red wine
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 35 oz can peeled italian tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped, juices reserved
2 cups beef broth
1 fresh rosemary sprig, about 4 inches long
1 lb pappardelle, preferably homemade
freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Directions:

Season the shanks with salt and pepper and dredge them in flour, shaking off the access. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot or dutch oven. Add the veal, in batches if necessary, and brown well on both sides. Transfer the veal to a plate.

Add the garlic, carrots, celery, and onion to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and balsamic vinegar and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced to a thick syrup, about 25 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and their juices, beef broth, rosemary sprig, and 2 cups water. Return the veal to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the veal is very tender and falling off the bone, about 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer the veal to a plate and let cool slightly before cutting/shredding the meat into bite sized pieces.

Strain the sauce into a large bowl through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid and flavor as possible; discard the solids.

If there is any visible fat on top of the sauce, spoon it off. Put the sauce back in the pot and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the veal and season with salt and pepper. Keep the veal ragu warm over low heat. Cook the pasta, drain, and toss gently with the veal ragu. 

Divide it into bowls and sprinkle with Pecorino.