Beef Osso Buco with Polenta

Steps

1. Score the thin outer membrane surrounding the beef shank slices (ossobuco) around the edges with the tip of a knife to prevent them from curling during cooking.
2. Season the meat with fine salt and freshly ground black pepper, then dredge it in all-purpose flour (T55), tapping off any excess.
3. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil with part of the unsalted butter (82% fat) in a cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
4. Arrange the meat pieces in a single layer without overlapping and sear for four to five minutes per side until deeply browned, then transfer to a plate.
5. Reduce the heat to medium, add the finely diced yellow onion, carrot, and celery stalk to the pan drippings.
6. Sweat the vegetables for eight to ten minutes, stirring regularly, until tender and translucent.
7. Add the no-salt-added tomato paste and two-thirds of the minced garlic cloves, then cook for two minutes to toast the paste and remove raw acidity.
8. Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze, scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven with a wooden spoon to dissolve the browned bits, then let it reduce by half.
9. Gently return the meat and any resting juices to the Dutch oven, add the canned crushed peeled tomatoes, dried bay leaves, and fresh thyme sprigs, then pour in unsalted beef broth to come level with the meat.
10. Cover tightly, reduce heat to very low to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook for two hours to two and a half hours, until the meat is fork-tender.
11. Prepare the gremolata by mixing the finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, grated organic lemon zest, and the remaining garlic cloves mashed to a fine paste in a bowl.
12. Forty minutes before the beef finishes cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
13. Pour in the coarse cornmeal for bramata polenta in a steady stream while whisking vigorously to prevent lumps.
14. Reduce to low heat and cook the polenta for forty minutes, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon, until creamy and pulling away from the sides of the pot.
15. Remove from heat, fold in the remaining unsalted butter (82% fat) along with the grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese, then adjust seasoning with fine salt and freshly ground black pepper.
16. Ladle a generous portion of steaming polenta into each shallow bowl, place a shank slice with its marrow bone in the center, spoon over the braised vegetable sauce, and finish by scattering fresh gremolata on top.