Three innovative ways to cook veal at Pentecost

It is Pentecost Monday, and we traditionally eat veal at Pentecost. Why Marion Sauveur? 

It is a tradition that is only 20 years old, since it is an idea that was launched in 1998 by a meat promotion agency. The least we can say is that it worked well. It was not launched at random. As calves are born at the end of winter and are slaughtered at three or four months of age, they are found on markets in the spring. Eating veal at Pentecost is therefore not religious. But it is a seasonal product, and breeders need our support.

Today, you are offering us three original recipes for changing blanquette, osso-bucco or orloff veal.

With three different ways of cooking the veal. We start with a quick recipe: a breaded veal cutlet. And for the breading to be crisp, I use cereals: corn flakes. 

First thing to do: take out your meat 30 minutes before you start cooking so that it is at room temperature, so as not to produce a thermal shock during cooking, which will contract the muscle fibers and harden the meat.

Then, we pass the escalopes first in the flour (30g), then in the egg beaten with a little salt and pepper, and finally in the crushed corn flakes (50g). Once all your veal cutlets are covered with cereals, you cook them for five minutes on each side, in a hot, buttered pan, over medium heat. The cutlets must be golden brown. 

You can serve them with a nice tomato sauce, simmer whole tomatoes for fifteen minutes, adding a little thyme, rosemary and oregano. And a nice pan-fried zucchini, just sautéed in a little oil and garnished with fresh mint. 

If we receive, do you have a recipe that throws it on the plate? 

Rolled veal. For this recipe, I take almost veal (very soft piece - butt 800g to 1kg) but you can also choose nuts. I spread the veal almost on a board and I have a layer of bacon strip on all the meat. I cover the bacon with fresh spinach leaves and sprinkle with tarragon, before adding the Parmesan shavings. I dirty, I pepper. And I roll the veal almost on itself, like a rolled cookie. The meat has to be tight, and I tie it up.

Now, cook. I brown it in a casserole dish on all sides, like a roast, over high heat. I add olive oil, I put a few minced shallots and tomatoes (1 can of peeled tomatoes), white wine (10 cl), thyme and bay leaf. And let simmer, covered, over low heat, for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

End of cooking: I let the sauce reduce in the casserole dish by increasing the heat, I cut the slices which reveals pretty spirals, with the green of the spinach and the delicacy of the Parmesan. It will really make a splash on the plate.

What if we want to prepare in advance? 

You can serve your veal cold, thinly sliced. A dish that you can take on a picnic. Either you use the leftover roast veal from the day before that you haven't finished, or you choose at your butcher a beautiful veal nut (or under walnut; 800g - 1kg), by cooking it in a casserole for 1h20, with water and aromatics: garlic, nutmeg, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary and cloves, salt and pepper. It has to have taste.

At the end of the cooking, you roll it in a paper wrap, and you let it rest overnight in the fridge. The next day, you slice it very thinly. And you just have to place it on your plate with raw vegetables like finely chopped radishes, a few crunchy carrots, gourmet peas. You can add, as long as there are still, freshly cooked green asparagus. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and chopped basil leaves. And cover with a well-mustard vinaigrette. We are not used to eating veal in this way, it is fresh, delicious and really delicious.