Italian Veal Stew Recipe with Gremolata
A hearty, class classic Italian veal stew recipe topped with zesty fresh gremolata. Serve this rustic veal stew recipe over a bed of polenta!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 517kcal
Equipment
- Oven
- Stove
- Dutch oven
- Chopping Knife
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Large Bowl
- Paper towels
- Wooden Spoon
- Lemon Zester
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless Ontario grain-fed veal shoulder trimmed and cut into 1" cubes
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 medium white or yellow onion diced
- 3 medium carrots peeled and diced to 1/2" rounds
- 3 medium celery ribs trimmed and diced to 1/2" pieces
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 12 Cippolini onions peeled and left whole
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 14.5 can stewed San Marzano whole tomatoes strained, cut into quarters; reserving 2 tbsp of tomato sauce from can
- 2 bay leaves
Gremolata
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Pat the veal dry using paper towels and season on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the bottom of the dutch oven pot and heat to medium-high heat. Add the veal to the pot allowing space between the pieces and brown on all sides. Work in batches transferring the browned veal to a large bowl off to the side and then add more veal to the pot. Continue this process until all the veal has been browned adding in a little olive oil as needed so the veal doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Once the veal is browned and in transferred to a bowl add the remaining tbsp of olive oil to the pot. Next, add the diced onions, carrots, and celery and sautee until the onions become translucent. Add in the garlic and let cook for 1 minute.
- Bring the veal back to the pot and add the flour and mix to coat the veal. Let cook for one minute.
- Add the white wine to the pot and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the Cippolini onions and top with chicken broth. Pour in enough so that the veal is barely covered about 1 1/2 cups.
- Add the bay leaves and quartered tomatoes along with 2 tbsp of the tomato sauce from the can. Mix. Cover the pot with the lid and place in oven. Let cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until veal is tender.
- Remove the Dutch oven from the oven, mix removing the bay leaves. The gravy should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. It should not be watery. If still thin, add the pot without the lid back to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add 1 heaping tbsp of cornstarch to a 1/4 cup of cold water stirring in the cup until smooth and clump-free. Pour this cornstarch slurry into the stew and mix. Bring the stew to a boil and stir. After about 1 minute the gravy should be thickened. You don't want it sludgy just thick enough to add a smooth coating to a spoon. Remove from heat.
Gremolata
- To a small bowl add 1 clove minced garlic, the zest from 1 large lemon and a 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley. Mix.
Serving
- Serve the stew in over a bed of polenta or mashed potatoes and sprinkle with the fresh gremolata and salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Storage:
Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat stovetop or in the microwave.
Substitutions:
- Pearl onions can be substituted for Cippolini.
- Vegetable or Beef broth can be used in place of chicken broth.
- Diced tomatoes can be used instead of stewed tomatoes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 517kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 789mg | Potassium: 334mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 13g