Veal Scallopini

I love veal. It’s one of the most tender, flavorful, leanest cut of beef possible. For the uninitiated, veal is a distinct cut that comes from male calves that are slaughtered at a young age. There are two varieties of veal; milk-fed and pasture or range-fed. Milk-fed veal tends to be more of a creamy pink color. It can easily be mistaken for pork. Pasture veal is closer in color to traditional beef. It tends to be a little tougher but differs very little in taste and texture. Veal tends to be more expensive so you will want to take care in it’s preparation.

I made Veal Scallopini last night from a recipe I found on Taste of Home. The cut I bought from my local butcher was range-fed and it was already nice and thin. This made it perfect for Scallopini. I won’t duplicate the recipe here, the link is below, but here are a couple of caveats. When you are coating the veal, be sure that it is entirely coated. Don’t leave any part of the meat un-coated. Bare spots tend to heat up quicker and you could end up with tough spots. Don’t over cook it. It will continue to cook once you take it from the heat. Keep it warm while you finish the sauce. Use real butter. Nothing replaces the flavor of butter, especially in a dish like this.

My dinner was succulent, flavorful and satiating. I added a little pasta combination. Super Green and Whole Wheat spaghetti topped with my famous spaghetti sauce that I had in the freezer. Finish that off with a side of crispy steamed broccoli. I paired it with a little South African Rose that I found. (more on wines another time). Look for the picture in the gallery.