The charm of most braised dishes is that they result in succulent, tender meat and require little attention after the first step of browning. The sad truth, though, is that most cuts need hours of simmering to become tender.
Not so with the odd cuts of veal from shoulder or leg, which can be cubed and cooked as a stew. Veal turns tender faster.
A variety of ingredients can be added to steer the dish in different directions. At this time of year, it’s nice to use young onions and peas (you might substitute 1-inch lengths of asparagus for the peas). As the weather gets warmer, a tomato-based stew seems more appropriate.
With veal, the smaller the chunks the more quickly they cook. This is an often-ignored principle of cooking: Spend a little more time with the knife and you sometimes spend a lot less time at the stove. Cubes measuring about 1 inch are best.
Smaller chunks have another advantage: They brown in just a few minutes. This not only guarantees a full-flavored stew but also reduces spattering and stove-top mess.
When you are browning the meat, keep the heat high and do not move the cubes around. Let the pieces sear so that they really have a chance to darken. Check a few pieces to be sure they are good and browned before proceeding to the next step. It’s really only necessary to brown on one side.
Another warning: Don’t add too much liquid to the dish. The meat, and any ingredients like onions, tomatoes or olives, generates plenty of juices as the covered stew simmers gently.
VEAL STEW
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1 tablespoon each: extra-virgin olive oil, butter
1 1/2 to 2 pounds veal cubes, no larger than 1 1/2 inches
1 sprig fresh tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 pound spring or green onions (if large, trimmed and halved), each cut in 2 or 3 pieces
Salt, freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup white wine or water
1 cup fresh shelled peas, snow peas or frozen peas
1. Heat large skillet over high heat; add oil and butter. Add enough of the meat to make single layer. Cook without stirring until meat is browned on bottom, about 5 minutes. Remove to plate. Repeat with any remaining veal. Return all veal to skillet.
2. Add tarragon, onions, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften and any meat stuck to bottom of pan is released, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine; reduce heat to low. Cover; cook until veal is tender, 30-40 minutes.
3. Add peas; raise heat to medium. Cook uncovered until peas are done, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
Variations:
Veal stew, Provencal style: Use all olive oil. Omit tarragon, onions, wine and peas. Add 2 crushed cloves garlic, 20 chopped basil leaves, 2 cups seeded, chopped tomatoes, and 1 cup black olives. If necessary, uncover to reduce liquid until stew is thick. Garnish with chopped basil.
Veal stew with bacon and mushrooms: In Step 1, cook 1/4 pound chopped slab bacon in 1 tablespoon olive oil until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon; brown veal in the fat (pour some off first if desired). In Step 2, omit tarragon; cook onions with 2 sprigs thyme and 1 cup chopped mushrooms; after onions soften, add wine. In Step 3, return bacon to pan; cook 5 minutes more. Serve over buttered noodles.
Veal stew with paprika: Use all of the butter. Omit tarragon; add 2 cloves crushed garlic and 2 teaspoons good paprika. Omit peas; stir in 1 cup sour cream. Serve over rice.
Nutrition information per serving (basic recipe):
Calories ………… 320 Fat ………… 13 g Saturated fat .. 4.2 g
% calories from fat .. 38 Cholesterol .. 140 mg Sodium …….. 100 mg
Carbohydrates …… 14 g Protein …….. 36 g Fiber ………. 3.7 g
