Veal is a delicately flavored
meat. It is therefore a good choice when making a dish which
has a flavorful sauce or rub. Seasonings that enhance veal's
natural flavors include white wine, sherry, onion, celery,
parsley, butter, marjoram, rosemary, sage, oregano, black
pepper, cinnamon, garlic, mustard, nutmeg, bay leaf and
thyme.
Veal will be moist and flavorful when cooked
to medium doneness (160 degrees) or faintly pink in the
center. Veal cooks very quickly due to the low amounts of
fat in the meat. Attention needs to be paid to this fact
when preparing veal. If veal is overcooked the tenderness
of the meat may be affected.
The following are the steps to a wonderful
veal meal at home.
Purchasing Veal
Look at cost per serving when purchasing veal.
Most veal cuts have very little waste. Cuts that contain
more bone and /or fat naturally yield fewer servings per
pound. To determine cost per serving, first look at the
number of servings per pound. Second, take the price per
pound and divide by the number of servings per pound.
Select veal that is a delicate, creamy pink
color with fat that is a milk white color.
Select packages of veal that feel cold to
the touch, are securely wrapped with no signs of leakage.
Veal is available in the self-service meat
case and the full service case. If the cut of veal is not
available call the meat manager and request the particular
cut you desire.
Storage Tips
Unopened, pre-packaged veal may be refrigerated
1 to 2 days after purchase.
For longer storage, freeze veal in its original
wrapping up to 2 weeks at 0 degrees or lower. For longer
freezer storage (6 to 9 months), wrap veal in a moisture/vapor
proof material such as aluminum foil, heavy duty plastic
wrap or polyethylene film. You can also place veal in food-safe
plastic freezer storage bags, be sure to squeeze out as
much air as possible before sealing. Store ground veal no
longer than 3 months. For convenience, leave roasts whole;
place smaller cuts such as chops or ground veal patties
in meal-size packages.
Defrost veal in the refrigerator in its original
wrapping. Allow 4 to 7 hours per pound for a large roast,
3 to 5 hours per pound for a smaller roast, 12 hours for
1-inch thick chops. Gauge time for defrosting ground veal
by package thickness.
Cooking
Methods
Veal can be cooked the same ways beef cuts
are cooked. Methods for cooking veal include dry heat (such
as roasting, broiling, panbroiling, pan-frying, stir-frying
and outdoor grilling) and moist heat (such as braising or
cooking in liquid). Tender cuts of meat cooked by dry-heat
methods, result in tender and juicy recipes. Less-tender
cuts must be cooked for longer periods of time by moist-heat
methods in order to tenderize the meat, to keep it juicy
and to develop flavor. Always remember that veal cooks much
faster than beef and needs shorter cooking periods.
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Roasting
Roasting is recommended for loin,
rib, rump and shoulder roasts. To roast, place
meat on rack in a roasting pan; do not cover
or add water. Roast in a slow oven (300 to 325
degrees) until 5 degrees below desired doneness.
Final meat thermometer reading should be: 160
degrees for medium doneness and 170 for well
done.
ROASTING TIMETABLE
| Cut |
Approx.
Weight (lbs.) |
Oven
Temp. |
Time
Required Medium |
Time
Required
Well Done |
| Loin roast (bone-in) |
3 to 4 |
300 to 325 |
34 to 36 |
38 to 40 |
| Loin roast (boneless) |
2 to 3 |
300 to 325 |
18 to 20 |
22 to 24 |
| Rib roast |
4 to 5 |
300 to 325 |
25 to 27 |
29 to 31 |
Crown roast
(1 to 14 ribs) |
7 1/2 to 9 1/2 |
300 to 325 |
19 to 21 |
12 to 23 |
| Rib Eye Roast |
2 to 3 |
300 to 325 |
26 to 28 |
30 to 33 |
| Rump roast (boneless) |
2 to 3 |
300 to 325 |
33 to 35 |
37 to 40 |
| Shoulder roast (boneless) |
2 1/2 to 3 |
300 to 325 |
31 to 34 |
34 to 37 |
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Broiling
Broiling or panbroiling is excellent
for tender veal chops and ground veal patties.
Less tender cuts such as the arm and blade steak
can be broiled after marinating. To broil, place
veal on rack of broiler pan. Position thinner
cuts 3 to 6 inches from the heat. Broil to medium
(160°) or well done (170°).
BROILING
TIMETABLE
| Cut |
Approx.
Weight (lbs.) |
Approx.
Thickness |
Time
Required Medium |
Time
Required
Well Done |
| Loin / Rib Chop |
8 oz. |
1 inch |
14 to 16 |
15 to 17 |
| Loin / Rib Chop |
11 oz. |
1 1/2 inch |
21 to 23 |
23 to 25 |
| Arm / Blade Steak |
16 oz. |
3/4 inch |
21 to 23 |
23 to 25 |
| Ground Veal Patties |
4 oz. |
1/2 inch |
8 to 10 |
10 to 12 |
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Panbroiling
Panbroiling is a faster and more
convenient method than oven broiling for cooking
thinner steaks or chops. To panbroil, place
veal in a preheated heavy skillet. Cook cutlets
and other thin cuts over medium-high heat, uncovered
and without water.
PANBROILING TIMETABLE
| Cut |
Approx.
Thickness |
Temp.
Range |
Time
Required Medium |
Time
Required
Well Done |
| Loin / Rib Chop |
3/4 to 1 inch |
med/low to med |
10 to 12 |
12 to 14 |
| Arm / Blade Steak |
3/4 inch |
med to med/high |
13 to 14 |
14 to 15 |
| Ground Veal Patties |
1/2 inch |
med/low to med |
6 to 7 |
8 to 9 |
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| Panfrying
Panfrying is best for ground veal
and small or thin cuts. Panfrying differs from
panbroiling in that a small amount of fat is
added first or allowed to accumulate during
the cooking.
PANFRYING TIMETABLE
| Cut |
Approx.
Thickness |
Time
Required Medium |
Time
Required
Well Done |
| Cutlets |
1/8 inch |
3 to 4 |
-- |
| Cutlets |
1/4 inch |
5 to 6 |
-- |
| Ground Veal Patties |
1/2 inch |
5 to 7 |
-- |
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| Braising
A moist-heat cooking method such
as braising is suitable for less tender cuts
of veal such as the shoulder and breast. To
braise, slowly brown veal on all sides in a
small amount of heated oil in a heavy pan. Pour
off drippings and add a small amount of liquid.
Cover tightly and cook at a low temperature
on top of the range or in a 300°
oven until fork tender.
BRAISING TIMETABLE
| Cut |
Approx.
Weight (lbs.) |
Approx.
Thickness |
Approx.
Cooking Time |
| Boneless Breast (stuffed) |
2 - 2 1/2 |
-- |
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours |
| Boneless Breast (stuffed) |
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 |
-- |
2 - 2 1/2 hours |
| Boneless Breast (rolled & tied)
|
2 - 3 |
-- |
1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours |
| Riblets |
-- |
-- |
50 - 70 minutes |
| Arm / Blade Steak |
-- |
3/4 inch - 1 inch |
45 - 60 minutes |
| Round Steak |
-- |
1/4 inch |
30 minutes |
| Round Steak |
-- |
1/2 inch |
40 minutes |
| Shoulder Roast (boneless) |
-- |
3 1/2 - 4 |
2 - 2 1/2 hours |
| Loin / Rib Chop |
-- |
1/2 inch |
8 - 10 minutes |
| Loin / Rib Chop |
-- |
3/4 inch - 1 inch |
20 - 25 minutes |
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| Grilling
Veal
- Almost any veal cut that can be broiled
can also be grilled.
- Grill veal cuts over medium temperature
coals.
- Use well trimmed veal to avoid flare-ups.
- Use tongs to turn the veal. A fork will
pierce the meat, allowing flavorful juices
to escape.
- Determine the doneness of chops or steaks
by making a small slit near the bone and checking
for desired color, or faintly pink for medium
doneness.
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Degree of Doneness
The degree of doneness can easily be determined
by measuring the internal temperature using a standard meat
thermometer or quick recovery/instant read thermometer.
Veal should be cooked to 160° for medium
and 170° for well done.
Leftovers
Leftover, cooked veal should be wrapped or
covered and refrigerated within an hour after cooking. Refrigerate
up to 3 days. Tightly wrapped, veal can be frozen up to
3 months.
Nutrition
Veal is a naturally lean meat. On average,
a three-ounce cooked , trimmed serving has 166 calories,
5.6 grams of total fat, 1.6 grams of saturated fat and 100
milligrams of cholesterol. Nutrition
