Braised Veal Shanks

Ingredients

• 5 fillet anchovy dry rinsed finely chopped
• 1.3 teaspoons pepper black
• 28 oz canned tomatoes whole chopped canned (including juice)
• 1 cup cooking wine dry white
• 0.8 cup flour all-purpose
• 0.3 cup flat-leaf parsley fresh finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove minced
• 4 large garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest fresh finely grated
• 6 tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin
• 2 cups onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon orange zest fresh finely grated
• 3.5 teaspoons salt 
• 2  turkish bay leaf 
• 12 oz meaty cross-cut veal shanks thick (also known as ossobuco; each)
• 1 cup water 

Equipment

• frying pan
• oven
• roasting pan
• aluminum foil
• wax paper
• tongs

Directions

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Pat shanks dry. Stir together flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper on a sheet of wax paper.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. While oil heats, dredge 4 shanks in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Brown shanks in oil on all sides, turning with tongs, about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Transfer to a large (17- by 12- by 2-inch) roasting pan.
5. Add 2 tablespoons oil to skillet and repeat with remaining 4 shanks. Discard remaining flour mixture.
6. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook onion, garlic, anchovies, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
7. Add wine and boil, scraping up any brown bits, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, water, zest strips, and remaining teaspoon salt and bring to a boil, then pour mixture over shanks. Tightly cover pan with foil and braise in oven 1 hour. Turn shanks over, cover, and continue to braise until meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours more.
8. Remove from oven and skim fat from surface of sauce, then transfer shanks and sauce to a large platter. Discard bay leaves.
9. Stir together parsley, grated zests, and garlic and sprinkle over shanks.
10. · Veal shanks can be braised 2 days ahead and cooled in sauce, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Reheat in a 425°F oven, about 40 minutes.· If making pastitsio, reserve 4 braised shanks, 4 cups of sauce, and half of gremolata.
11. Cut meat for pastitsio into 1-inch pieces and stir into reserved sauce with gremolata. Cool, uncovered, then chill, covered.