Recipe - Roast Veal Brisket With Marsala-Mushroom Sauce

2 6to7pound pointend veal
breasts; boned, fat trimmed
(about 2 One half pounds each
after boning), bones
reserved and cut into
pieces
Dried thyme
1 One half pound Medium onions; quartered
2 tablespoon All purpose flour
1 One half pound Button mushrooms; thickly
cut or sliced up
4 cup Chicken stock or canned
lowsalt broth
2 cup Dry imported Marsala
2 ounce Dried porcini mushrooms;
rinsed, drained
8 lg Garlic cloves
One fourth teaspoon (generous) ground allspice
Fresh thyme; (optional)

This hearty winter entrée can be prepared several days ahead. Veal brisket
is the boned veal breast. If you don't have a roasting pan large enough to
hold both briskets, divide the ingredients in half and bake in two pans. If
the veal is difficult to find, substitute one 5pound flatcut beef brisket
and roast until tender, about 3 One half hours. Leftovers freeze well and make
great sandwiches.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Season veal generously with dried thyme, salt and
pepper. Heat heavy large skillet over high heat. Add veal bones and cook
until some fat is rendered, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add
onions and sauté until brown, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle flour over and
stir 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to large roasting pan, spreading onions in
center and bones around edge. Add 1 brisket to same skillet and cook until
brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer brisket to roasting pan and place
atop onions. Repeat with second brisket.

Add button mushrooms, stock, Marsala, dried mushrooms, garlic and allspice
to same skillet. Bring mixture to boil, scraping up browned bits. Cover
tightly with heavyduty foil. Roast until briskets are very tender, about 2
hours. Uncover; let cool at least 30 minutes.

Transfer briskets to platter. Remove bones from pan and discard. Spoon
onions into strainer set over large saucepan. Press onions hard to release
juices. Discard onions in strainer. Set mushrooms aside. Strain pan juices
in roasting pan into same large saucepan. Spoon fat from top of pan juices
and discard. Boil until pan juices coat spoon lightly, about 20 minutes.
Return reserved mushrooms to sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut briskets diagonally across grain into thin slices; trim fat, if
desired. Overlap slices in large casserole. Spoon mushroom sauce over. (Can
be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover with foil and refrigerate. Rewarm covered
in 350°F oven before continuing, about 45 minutes.) Garnish with fresh
thyme, if desired, and serve.
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