Veal meat, tender and delicate, can be adapted in so many ways that it has undeniably seduced the greatest Chefs and contributed to enrich England's gastronomic heritage. Moist and tasty, veal can be enjoyed on any occasion.
Buy veal meat
When purchased, the veal should be tightly grained, have a nice pale pink colouring with firm fat, satin white.
Frozen food specialists offer many pieces of veal in their meat department.
Choosing the right piece
The ribs: there are 4 kinds, the uncovered ribs, second, first and fillet. They are distinguished from each other by the shape of their bone, the texture and the importance of the meat attached to the bone. They can be grilled or pan-fried and even roasted when they are "squared", i.e. not separated.
Preserving veal
It can be kept in the coldest part of the refrigerator, between 0 and 4° C, and in its original packaging or butcher paper (2 to 3 days depending on the size of the piece) or trays/UVCI (CSD indicated on the packaging).
Frozen veal meat can be kept for several months in the freezer (CSD or DLUO indicated on the packaging).
Cooking veal
Whether grilled, pan-fried, sautéed, baked or in the oven, veal is suitable for all kinds of culinary preparations, from the simplest to the most refined. However, its cooking must be as fine and delicate as the meat itself.
Different pieces of veal are cooked in different ways and not all pieces of veal can be cooked in the same way.
Some require slow and gentle cooking in a casserole or pot to achieve maximum melting and flavour: these are the pieces to be simmered. To give simmered dishes more texture and flavour, mix different pieces together. A good veal blanquette, rich in texture and taste is made with a minimum of two meats: a low-fat meat such as shoulder or collar, a entrelardée such as tendron or flank steak.
Other pieces, which are naturally tender, cook much more quickly: depending on their size or weight, they are roasted, pan-fried or grilled. For the latter, it is important to remember to take them out of the refrigerator a little before cooking them: thus brought back to room temperature, they are not attacked by too great a difference in temperature during cooking; it is essential, once cooked, to let them rest, the heat is evenly distributed, which allows them to relax and thus preserve their tenderness and flavour: for escalopes, ribs and grenadines, the resting time must be equal to the cooking time and for large pieces such as roasts or squares, half.