Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 3 1/4-pound boneless veal shoulder roast
• 2 pounds shallots, thinly sliced
• 7 1/2 cups thinly sliced fresh fennel (from 3 large bulbs)
• 1 500-ml bottle Vin Santo
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix salt, dried thyme, and white pepper in small bowl. Rub 1 tablespoon oil over roast. Rub salt mixture over roast. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add meat and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer roast to plate.
2. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, shallots, and fennel to same pot. Sauté until vegetables are golden brown, stirring frequently and scraping up browned bits, about 12 minutes. Add Vin Santo; boil 3 minutes. Return veal to pot, nestling into vegetables, and top with some of vegetables. Cover; roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of veal registers 165°F, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
3. Transfer veal to platter. Mix fresh thyme into vegetables. Season cooking liquid with salt and pepper. Spoon vegetables and cooking liquid around roast.