Braised Veal Breast Recipes

Steps:

• Vaguely trim breast - just the fat globs on the rib cage and any especially skanky skin, if it even exists. If the blue U.S.D.A. ink stamp on the flesh offends you, remove it.
• Place breast in a deep roasting pan large enough to accommodate it, and season meat thoroughly and assertively with salt, all over, turning the breast ribs-side up as well, seasoning with salt all over. Do the same thing, less assertively by half, with ground black pepper. Set breast back in pan ribs-side down, and season the flesh side extremely conservatively with both ground juniper and ground allspice. A light hand here, please. Strip a few pinches of fresh thyme leaves from their stems, and scatter over the veal. Drizzle generously with the oil, allowing some to pool in roasting pan.
• Let the veal sit at room temperature to shake the chill from the refrigerator while you prepare the potatoes.
• Peel and cut into wedges 4 Yukon Gold potatoes, and scatter around in pan. Peel and halve the onion, and slice into 1/3-inch-thick half-moons. Scatter onion around in pan on top of potatoes. Keep potato and onion under the meat, not on top of it, so that breast can fully brown and get a crisp skin.
• Fill roasting pan 2 inches deep with water and white wine, in equal parts. Set in 275-degree oven, and let roast for up to 12 hours, depending on weight. Remove when it is deeply golden brown and soft and tender. You don't want it falling off the bone, but you should be able to see how loose and relaxed it has become in the layers. You may need to tent the pan with foil for the first or the last 45 minutes of roasting to give it a little braise time for the deepest interior, recalcitrant parts. Conversely, you may want to turn up the oven and give it a 30-minute finish in a hot oven to get better color.
• Pick out vertebrae. Slice off ribs. Then portion as you wish, using a sharp knife big enough for the job. Include the potatoes and onions and the liquid from the pan when you serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°F (80°C).
• Mix the cider with the horseradish and salt.
• Wrap the veal breast in a single layer of cheesecloth. Put the veal, bone side up, in a pan large enough to hold the meat and the cider mixture. Pour the cider mixture over the veal and cover the pan with foil. Place in the oven and cook for 19 hours. When the breast is fork-tender, remove the pan from the oven, remove the foil, and allow the veal to cool in the liquid for 1 hour.
• Put on a pair of disposable rubber gloves. Lift the veal out of the liquid and unwrap it. The meat will still be warm and pliable. Remove any bones and cartilage from the meat. Unfold the veal and carefully clean up the meat, pulling out the rubbery connective tissue. Put the cleaned meat back into a rectangle shape and wrap it in plastic. Refrigerate the meat until you're ready to use it.
• Preheat the oven to 180°F (80°C).
• Strain the veal braising liquid into a small saucepan and discard the fat. Warm the liquid over medium-low heat.
• Cut the breast into slices. Arrange the sliced veal in an ovenproof serving dish and pour the warm braising liquid over it. Place the veal in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, basting the veal occasionally with the sauce, until it is warmed through. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Prepare the boneless veal breast by removing and discarding all visible fat. Let the meat come to room temperature.
• Roll the meat into a roll, tightly turning one edge inside and on top of itself, like a jellyroll. Cut 4 or 5 12-inch lengths of kitchen twine and tie the roll so that it keeps its uniform shape.
• Season the entire roll with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Place a large French oven or braising pan (one that has a cover) over high heat. Add the canola oil and heat for 30 seconds until shimmering.
• Add the meat and brown on all sides. This will take about 10 minutes. Don't rush this step because the browning adds important flavor to the dish.
• Remove the meat to a plate and add the carrots, onion, celery and garlic to the pan. Lower the meat to medium and cook until the vegetables soften, about 6 minutes.
• Pour in the wine. Let it boil, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan to remove all the brown bits.
• Add 3 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil, then immediately lower to a simmer. Do not add any more salt or pepper at any point because through the cooking, the flavors will concentrate and the seasoning on the meat before you browned it will probably be enough. You can also adjust for seasonings at the very end of the cooking.
• Return the meat to the pan. If the meat isn't submerged at least half-way in the stock/wine mixture, add more stock until it is, up to one more cup.
• Cover the pan and adjust the heat so that the liquid is at a low simmer. Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, turning the meat over at least once half-way through the cooking.
• When the meat is tender and soft to your touch (press it with the tips of your fingers and make sure that it gives a bit), remove the veal roll from the cooking liquid and place on a plate. Cover with foil to keep it warm.
• Turn the heat up under the remaining cooking liquid and bring to a boil and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half. Check to see if it has reached a sauce-like thickness by dipping a teaspoon in the liquid, turn the spoon over and run your finger through the liquid coating the spoon. If it leaves a clear mark, it has probably thickened enough.
• Strain the liquid through a fine-holed sieve to remove the vegetables. Return the sauce to the pan and add the minced herbs. Taste for seasoning.
• Slice the meat into 1/2-inch pieces and drizzle the sauce over the slices or else pass the sauce in a separate serving dish.

Steps:

• Cut a pocket in veal breast, or ask your butcher to do it for you. Season pocket with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set aside veal to reach room temperature.
• In a skillet melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery and saute until onion is tender and golden. In a bowl combine bread and eggs; add onion mixture, parsley and 1 cup of the chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper; mix well. Stuffing should be fairly wet; add a little more chicken stock if needed.
• Using a long spoon, reach deep inside veal pocket to distribute stuffing evenly. Use a trussing needle and string to sew up pocket. Season roast on all sides with salt and pepper and liberally sprinkle top with paprika. Place in roasting pan, top side up, and roast 3 1/2 hours in all. Baste top with 1/2 cup chicken stock every 45 minutes.
• Remove roast to a carving board and let sit, loosely covered, 15 minutes while you prepare sauce. Set roasting pan over medium-high heat and add remaining 3 cups chicken stock. Deglaze pan, scraping up browned bits and incorporating them into stock. Boil until stock reduces to 1 1/2 cups. If desired, thicken sauce with arrowroot or butter, or leave as is. Cut center portion of veal breast along chine bone separations into 6 servings. Spoon gravy over each portion.

Steps:

• Heat an oven to 450 degrees. Rub the garlic with a little olive oil, wrap in foil and roast until soft, about 30 minutes. Remove the garlic and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan, add the Swiss chard leaves, sprinkle with a little salt, and cook a few minutes, turning with tongs, until wilted. Place in a colander and press out as much liquid as possible.
• Coarsely chop the Swiss chard. Shred the prosciutto and scatter over the chard. Dust with the cheese and chop ingredients together until the chard is finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.
• Use a sharp knife to remove excess fat from the surface of the veal. With boned side up, lightly score surface of veal in crisscross pattern. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the garlic out of cloves and mash. Spread on the meat. Spread with an even layer of chard mixture. Strew with the thyme and parsley. Tightly roll the slab of veal the long way. Use a butcher's cord to tie the veal at 1 1/2-inch intervals, tucking in any stuffing that oozes out.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large, deep casserole over medium heat. Cut the roast in half or thirds if necessary to fit in the casserole, and lightly brown on all sides, one section at a time. If the pan blackens, wash the casserole after browning the veal.
• Scatter carrots, onions, leek and celery over the veal in the casserole. Add enough liquid to nearly cover the meat. Bring to simmer on top of stove. Place in the oven and cook 2 1/2 to 3 hours, basting frequently, until the meat is fork-tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in liquid to room temperature.
• Remove veal from cooking liquid, reserving liquid. Wrap veal in foil; refrigerate overnight.
• Reduce cooking liquid by half and skim off fat. Strain and freeze for another use.
• To serve, snip and remove cord from veal. Slice veal. Arrange on platter with vinaigrette, salsa verde or aioli alongside.

Steps:

• Make stuffing:
• Cover potatoes with salted cold water by 1 inch in a 4-quart pot, then briskly simmer, uncovered, over moderate heat until just tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• While potatoes simmer, cook onion in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
• Drain potatoes in a colander and, when cool enough to handle, peel, then thinly slice. Add potatoes, salt, and pepper to onion and coarsely mash with a fork. Cool to warm and stir in egg and dill until combined. Cool completely, uncovered.
• Stuff and braise veal:
• Cut a 7- by 5-inch pocket in center of meat parallel to bone, leaving a 1/2-inch border of meat all around. Loosely fill pocket with potato stuffing and sew pocket closed on cut side with needle and kitchen string (and sew any tears).
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Pat veal dry and rub all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a wide 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then brown veal, meat side down, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn veal over and add wine. Boil, uncovered, until wine is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add broth and bay leaves and return to a boil. Cover pot tightly with lid and transfer to oven, then braise until meat is very tender, about 2 hours.
• Make sauce and slice veal:
• Transfer veal to a cutting board using a large wide metal spatula and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 minutes.
• Discard bay leaves and skim off fat from pan juices. Bring pan juices to a boil. Whisk together cream and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk into pan juices. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. If desired, pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl (discard solids). Stir in dill, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Discard kitchen string from veal and cut meat from bones by holding knife against bone as you cut. Transfer stuffed meat to a cutting board and slice lengthwise 1 inch thick. Cut between ribs to separate. Serve veal slices and ribs with sauce.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the carrot, celery, and onion; cook and stir until the carrot begins to soften, 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, and stir in the garlic and parsley; set aside.
• Beat the eggs and water with salt and pepper in a large bowl. Fold in the bread cubes until they absorb the egg mixture, then fold in the cooked vegetables; set aside. Cut a deep pocket into the veal breast with a long, narrow knife. Stuff the veal with the bread and vegetable mixture, and season with paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place onto a roasting pan, and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven for 3 1/2 hours, then remove the foil, baste with pan drippings, and continue cooking 30 minutes more. When done, tent with aluminum foil, and allow the veal breast to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• Reconstitute the mushrooms by covering them with very hot water. Strain through a fine sieve to remove any grit. Strain the liquid, and reserve.
• Turn heat under a 12-inch skillet to medium-high, and let it sit for a minute. Add veal, and brown on both sides, turning once, for a total of about 6 minutes.
• Remove meat to a plate, and turn heat to medium. Add the mushrooms and about 1/2 cup of their liquid to the skillet, along with wine. Bring to a boil, and cook about 30 seconds, then return veal to skillet. Season with salt and pepper, turn heat to low, and cover.
• Cook 60 to 90 minutes, turning once or twice and checking occasionally to make sure the liquid is bubbling slowly; adjust heat accordingly.
• When meat is tender, remove it to a cutting board. Turn heat under skillet to high, and reduce liquid to a thick, sauce-like consistency. Stir in butter if desired, and keep warm. Carve meat against the grain into slices 1/4 inch thick, and serve with pan juices.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Season the veal with salt and white pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the veal; brown well on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
• 2. Add the next nine ingredients to the pan and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown. Add the cabbage; cook until wilted and browned slightly. Add 1 cup each of the wine and cider. Return veal to the pot. Season with salt, cover and braise in the oven until the meat is very tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• 3. Remove the veal and vegetables from the juices and keep warm. Strain and degrease juices; return to the pot. Add remaining wine and cider; bring to a boil. Reduce for 15 minutes to thicken. Adjust seasonings. Return veal to the pot; simmer, basting with sauce until it is syrupy and the meat is nicely glazed.
• 4. To serve, place vegetables on a platter; slice veal through the bones and place atop. Spoon sauce over all and sprinkle with chives.

Steps:

• Prepare the stuffing:
• Bring a large pot full of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the chard and spinach, bring the water back to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until thoroughly wilted. Drain and squeeze out as much moisture as possible, pressing the greens against a colander with a wooden spoon. Or for a more thorough job, use your hands when the greens have cooled somewhat. Finely chop, either by hand or by pulsing in a food processor.
• In a large skillet, sauté the minced garlic in 3 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat until pale gold, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chard and spinach. Cook, stirring, over medium heat, until the liquid is evaporated and the garlic is thoroughly distributed, 5 to 7 minutes. The greens should be very tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Sauté the onion in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat in 3 tablespoons of the oil until softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with the onions. In another saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Add the broth to the rice a few spoonfuls at a time, as if making risotto. Keep the heat medium-low, and stir, waiting until the broth is nearly absorbed before adding another spoonful. Cook the rice until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes in all. If you finish adding the broth and the rice is not yet tender, add a tablespoon or two of hot water, as needed. Season the rice with salt and pepper (taking in to account the saltiness of the broth you are using), add it to the chard and spinach, and set aside to cool.
• Prepare the garlic head:
• Break the head into single cloves and put them, unpeeled, into a small baking dish in which they fit snugly (I use a 5-inch-square porcelain ramekin). Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of the oil and 1 teaspoon of the thyme. Cover tightly (use foil if you don't have a lid), and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, until a soft puree is formed when you squeeze a clove. Avoid overcooking, which turns the garlic bitter. Squeeze the puree out by hand or run the unpeeled cloves through a food mill to trap the peels. Put the roasted garlic puree in a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon of the rosemary and the lemon juice. Stir well and set aside. Turn off the oven-you will be pan-braising the meat.
• While the garlic is roasting, finish the stuffing:
• In a food processor, pulse the remaining 1 tablespoon each of rosemary and thyme, the parsley, mint, and lemon zest until finely chopped. Add to the rice mixture. Stir in the egg until well combined.
• Trim the veal of gristle and as much fat as possible. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over, including the inside pocket. Fill the pocket with the stuffing, pushing the mixture as far in as possible, but don't overfill-it will expand somewhat while cooking. Sew the pocket closed. (A large embroidery needle and strong cotton thread or unwaxed dental floss work very well here. Or use a trussing needle and kitchen twine. I find skewering not as successful here-the stuffing is more likely to ooze out into the pan gravy.)
• In a 6-quart Dutch oven or heavy casserole just large enough to accommodate the veal, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until hot, but not smoking. Add the veal and brown it slowly on all sides, turning carefully with wooden spoons so you don't piece the meat. When it is thoroughly browned, arrange the meat so that the fat side is up. Spread the roasted garlic mixtue all over the top. Add the wine and bring to a slow bubble. Place the lid slightly askew, and braise at a slow simmer over very low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or longer, if necessary, until the meat is very tender. Use a flame tamer (blech) or stack two stove burner grates , if you must to keep the flame very low. Every 20 minutes or so, baste with the pan juices. If possible, turn the meat a few times; don't worry about losing the roasted garlic coating on top-it will add delicious flavor to the cooking juices.
• Transfer the veal to a platter, and let it stand for 10 minutes, tented with foil to keep warm. Boil up the cooking juices for a few minutes to concentrate the flavors, taste for seasoning, then transfer to a sauce boat.
• Slice the veal about 1/2-inch thick, making sure that the slices enclose some of the filling. Nap with some of the juices. Pass remaining sauce separately.
• Ashkenazi Mashed Potato Stuffing Variation:
• Don't pass by this fabulous veal because your family refrains from eating rice on Passover. When my agent Elise Goodman wanted to prepare it for her seder, we came up with a wonderful alternative mashed potato stuffing.
• Prepare the stuffing according to the directions above, omitting rice and broth. Sauté the onion until rice gold and set aside. Simmer 3 1/2 cups russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed, in cold, salted water to cover, until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash the potatoes until smooth. Stir in the reserved sautéed onion (along with any oil remaining in the pan), and 1 additional tablespoon olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the potato mixture to the chard and spinach, set aside to cool, and continue with the recipe.