Veal

1. 14 Veal

3. Figure 14.1 The skeletal structure of a calf.

4. Figure 14.2 The primal cuts of veal.

5. Veal Hotel Rack, Split

6. Veal Loin

7. Boneless Strip Loin

8. Loin Chops

9. Veal Leg

10. Top Round

11. Hindshank Cut for Osso Buco

12. Sweetbreads

13. Calves’ Liver

14. Kidneys

15. PROCEDURE FOR BONING A LEG OF VEAL 1. Remove the shank by cutting through the knee joint. Remove the excess fat and flank meat.

16. PROCEDURE FOR BONING A LEG OF VEAL 2. Remove the butt tenderloin from the inside of the pelvic bone.

17. PROCEDURE FOR BONING A LEG OF VEAL 3. Remove the pelvic bone by carefully cutting around the bone, separating it from the meat. Continue until the bone is completely freed from the meat.

18. PROCEDURE FOR BONING A LEG OF VEAL 4. With the inside of the leg up, remove the top round by cutting along the natural seam.

19. PROCEDURE FOR BONING A LEG OF VEAL 5. Remove the shank meat. (It is the round piece of meat lying between the eye round and the bone, on the shank end of the leg.)

20. PROCEDURE FOR BONING A LEG OF VEAL 6. Remove the round bone and the knuckle together by cutting around the bone and through the natural seams separating the knuckle from the other muscles. Separate the knuckle meat from the bone.

21. PROCEDURE FOR BONING A LEG OF VEAL 7. Remove the sirloin.

22. PROCEDURE FOR BONING A LEG OF VEAL 8. Remove the eye round from the bottom round.

23. The completely boned-out veal leg, producing a top round, eye round, knuckle, shank meat, butt tenderloin,sirloin, bottom round, bones and trimmings.

24. PROCEDURE FOR CUTTING AND POUNDING SCALLOPS 1. Veal scallops are cut from relatively large pieces of veal (here, a portion of the top round). Trim all fat and silverskin. Going against the grain, cut slices approximately 1/4 inch (3 millimeters) thick; cut on the bias to produce larger pieces.

25. PROCEDURE FOR CUTTING AND POUNDING SCALLOPS 2. Place the scallops between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound lightly with a spreading motion to flatten and tenderize the meat. Be careful not to tear or pound holes in the meat.

26. PROCEDURE FOR CUTTING ÉMINCÉ Émincé is cut from relatively small, lean pieces of meat. Here veal is cut across the grain into small, thin slices.

27. PROCEDURE FOR BONING A VEAL LOIN AND CUTTING IT INTO BONELESS VEAL CHOPS 1. Remove the tenderloin in a single piece from the inside of the loin by following the vertebrae and cutting completely around the tenderloin.

28. PROCEDURE FOR BONING A VEAL LOIN AND CUTTING IT INTO BONELESS VEAL CHOPS 2. From the backbone side, cut along the natural curve of the backbone, separating the loin meat from the backbone.

29. PROCEDURE FOR BONING A VEAL LOIN AND CUTTING IT INTO BONELESS VEAL CHOPS 3. Trim any excess fat from the loin, and trim the flank to create a 3-inch (7.5-centimeter) lip. Tightly roll up the loin with the flank on the outside.

30. PROCEDURE FOR BONING A VEAL LOIN AND CUTTING IT INTO BONELESS VEAL CHOPS 4. Tie the loin, using the procedure described next, at 1-inch (2.5-centimeter) intervals. Cut between the pieces of twine for individual boneless loin chops.

31. PROCEDURE FOR TYING MEATS 1. Cut a piece of string long enough to wrap completely around the loin. Holding one end between the thumb and forefinger, pass the other end around it and across the strings. Loop the loose end of the string around your finger.

32. PROCEDURE FOR TYING MEATS 2. Wrap the string around itself and pass the loose end back through the hole.

33. PROCEDURE FOR TYING MEATS 3. Pull to tighten the knot. Adjust the string so it is snug against the meat.

34. PROCEDURE FOR TYING MEATS 4. Loop one end of the string around your thumb and forefinger. Reach through with your thumb and forefinger and pull the other string back through the loop. Pull both strings to tighten the knot, thus preventing the first knot from loosening. Trim the ends of the strings.

35. PROCEDURE FOR TYING MEATS 5. Continue in this fashion until the entire loin is tied. The strings should be tied at even intervals, just snug enough to hold the shape of the loin; they should not dig into or cut the meat.

36. PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING AND PRESSING SWEETBREADS 1. Remove the sweetbreads from the poaching liquid and allow them to cool.

37. PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING AND PRESSING SWEETBREADS 2. Using your hands, pull off any sinew or membranes that may be present on the surface of the sweetbreads.

38. PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING AND PRESSING SWEETBREADS 3. Wrap the sweetbreads in cheesecloth.

39. PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING AND PRESSING SWEETBREADS 4. Tie the ends with butcher’s twine.

40. PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING AND PRESSING SWEETBREADS 5. Place the wrapped sweetbreads in a half-size hotel pan or similar container.

41. PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING AND PRESSING SWEETBREADS 6. Place another half-size hotel pan on top of the sweetbreads; place a weight in the pan to press the sweetbreads. Pressing sweetbreads in this manner improves their texture.

42. PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING CALVES’ LIVER 1. Trim the large sinew and outer membrane from the bottom of the liver.

43. PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING CALVES’ LIVER 2. Turn the liver over and peel the membrane off with your hands.

44. PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING CALVES’ LIVER 3. The liver can be cut into thick or thin slices as needed.

45. PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING VEAL KIDNEYS 1. Split the kidneys lengthwise, exposing the fat and sinew.

46. PROCEDURE FOR CLEANING VEAL KIDNEYS 2. With a sharp knife, trim away the fat; the kidney is now ready for cooking.

48. GRILLED VEAL CHOP WITH WILD MUSHROOM RAGOÛT THE BROWN PALACE HOTEL, DENVER, COFormer Executive Chef Mark Black

49. ROAST VEAL LOIN

50. SAUTÉED VEAL SCALLOPS WITH CALVADOS