Meat 
Veal Types and Cooking Basics Ah...the delightful dishes we associate with veal. From fancy home cooking to delectable
restaurant cuisines from Italy, France, Sweden and Germany, veal meat has
earned recognition among some of the best cooks in the world. Due to its high cost, veal is often reserved
for special occasions. Unique veal
dishes such as grilled veal chops or veal scaloppini can be purchased in many
restaurants that serve international cuisine. Veal is often referred to as "baby beef"
because it is cut from young calves or a young beef animal. Male dairy calves provide the most veal meat
today because dairy farmers have little need of them. Farmers must breed their dairy cows so the
cows will produce milk; however, only a few of the born males are kept for
breeding purposes. The other males may be raised until about 16 to 18 weeks
old, and then used for veal meat. The
calves will generally be raised to weigh about 450 pounds. Veal meat can also be taken from calves that are only
up to three weeks old, weighing about 150 pounds. This is called "Bob" veal. The statement "special fed" means
the veal has been taken from calves that were fed only milk and formula. The special diet given to these calves
contains iron, amino acids, fats, carbs and a variety of essential vitamins and
minerals. Types of Veal Cuts Retail cuts of veal include breast, rib, leg or round,
sirloin, loin, foreshank and shoulder. Packaging labels are placed on the meat in retail
stores to identify the type of cut. The
most popular types of veal on the market today include stew veal, blade steak,
loin chops, rib chops, shanks, breast, rib roast, round
steak and arm steak. A package label
might read "veal round steak" or "veal loin chop." Shoulder arm roast is cut from the shoulder and
contains underside rib bones, arm bone and cross-sections of the bones from the
face side. This cut includes muscles
from the brisket, forearm and shoulder.
A shoulder arm steak is similar to the arm roast but is a thinner
cut. Two other shoulder cuts include the
blade roast and blade steak, which contain the blade bone and backbone. Breast
from veal is cut from the rear area of the foresaddle
and has lower ribs with some fat. Breast
riblets are narrow and long, containing rib bones
with a covering of some fat and connective tissue. A veal leg round steak comes from the center of the
leg, while the leg round roast is cut with the round leg bone exposed. Leg sirloin roast and leg sirloin steak both
contain parts of the backbone and hip bone.
Veal loin chops include top loin and tenderloin muscles, fingerbone and backbone.
Rib chops have featherbone and sometimes rib bone, depending on the
meat's thickness. A rib roast has no
tenderloin, and generally uses ribs six to twelve with featherbones, part of
the chine bone and rib eye muscle. There are also veal stew cuts, veal cubed steaks,
cutlets and ground veal. Interesting Facts about Veal How popular is veal?
The USDA's Economic Research Service reported that Americans eat
approximately .41 pounds of veal per individual annually, as of 2004. Veal is often classified as a red meat; however, a veal
carcass often has lean meat of a grayish pink color and calf carcasses are a
grayish red color. Veal calves are often housed in barns that are
environmentally controlled with natural and artificial lighting as well as
abundant fresh air circulation. Each
calf is placed in an individual stall, giving it plenty of room for standing,
grooming, stretching and resting. The
calves are separated from the grown cows at around three days old and then raised with individual care.
The calves are monitored for any health deficiencies and then some are
fed antibiotics, iron, etc. if needed.
All health products used for veal must be approved by the Food and Drug
Administration. Veal carcasses are graded according to quality and
proportion. The five grades are as
follows: utility, standard, good, choice
and prime. A purple mark shaped like a
shield is stamped onto the carcass to indicate the meat has been graded. Cooking Veal Raw veal does not have to be rinsed before cooking
because any present bacteria will be killed while cooking. Always thaw veal within its packaging to
prevent it from getting wet. You can
also thaw in the microwave on a low defrost setting, or cook for a longer time
frame if still frozen. Veal can be seasoned with a variety of seasonings such
as salt and pepper, fresh green herbs, celery salt, basil, chives, cloves,
parsley, oregano, sage, thyme or rosemary.
Buy specially made seasonings for veal or create your own unique
blend. You can also marinate veal with
various sauces to create a tender, flavorful dish. Veal stew or cubes can be marinated for one
or two days. Steaks, chops and roasts
can be marinated up to five days. The
marinade should be boiled before using as a sauce. Always marinate meats in the refrigerator. Always cook veal completely at the recommended
temperature to ensure all harmful bacteria has been killed. Never cook veal meat in stages. The recommended minimum temperature for veal
meat is 160 degrees F; however, temperatures will vary according to the type of
veal and weight of the meat being cooked.
Veal can be cooked with moist or dry heat. Dry heating methods (broiling, roasting, grilling
or stir frying) may be used for veal tender cuts such as patties, cutlets, leg
and loin chops. Moist heat cooking
(simmering or braising in liquid) is recommended for less tender cuts such as
veal stew, breast, shanks or round steak. Veal Recipes If you've never cooked veal before or if you just want
to try a new recipe, here are a couple of simple veal recipes to get started. VEAL WITH CAPICOLA ·
1 lb thinly
sliced veal cutlets ·
1/4 lb hot or
mild capicola ·
1/4 lb provolone
or mozzarella cheese ·
1 1/2 c. bread crumbs ·
1/2 c. flour ·
2-3 eggs, beaten ·
2 tbsp. olive oil, butter or both ·
salt 1. Lightly
salt cutlets. 2. Dredge
veal cutlets in flour. 3. Dip
cutlets into eggs and coat with bread crumbs. 4. Fry
on medium in butter/olive oil for three minutes and turn. 5. After
turning once, layer capicola and then cheese until
veal is covered. Add olive oil/butter as needed. 6. Cook
until cheese is melted. 7. Serve
with a glass of Chardonnay or Chianti.
VEAL CHOPS
·
8 veal chops, cut 1/2" thick and
pounded lightly ·
4 tbsp. butter ·
2 c. thinly sliced onions ·
1 1/4 tsp. salt ·
1/2 tsp. black pepper ·
2 cloves garlic, minced ·
2 tsp. paprika ·
3/4 c. boiling water ·
1/2 c. sour cream Trim the fat from the veal chops. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat
and saute the onions 10 minutes. Add the veal chops and brown on both sides. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and paprika. Cover and cook over low heat 30 minutes,
adding small amounts of boiling water from time to time as the frying pan
becomes dry. Stir in sour cream just before serving. Suggestion: Serve with
parsley potatoes. Copyright
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