VEAL BASICS

Steps:

• Selecting VealVery young beef, 1 to 3 months old, is classified as veal. Veal is lean with a mild, delicate flavor. When buying veal, let color be your guide: Veal should be light pink and the fat should be white. Meat that's red in color indicates the animal is older, and the meat won't be quite as mild in flavor or as tender.Cooking VealBecause it's so low in fat, all cuts are cooked at low temperatures or with moist-heat methods to prevent them from drying out. Sauces and coatings also help to retain veal's natural juices and enhance its delicate flavor. Cook veal to 160° (medium).Roasting VealRoasting is best for larger veal cuts from the loin, sirloin and rib, although roasting a boneless veal shoulder arm, eye round or rump roast works well, too. Check the Timetable for Roasting Veal, below, to determine the right oven temperatures and times for each cut.1. Choose one of the roasts from the Timetable for Roasting Veal.2. Place the veal--right from the refrigerator--fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. (For easy cleanup, line the pan with aluminum foil first.) As the fat melts, it bastes the veal, making basting during cooking unnecessary.3. If you like, season the veal with herbs, spices or other seasonings before, during or after cooking. Sprinkling the roast with salt before cooking adds flavor.4. Insert a meat thermometer so the tip is centered in the thickest part of the roast and not resting in fat or touching bone. Don't cover the roast or add water.5. Roast at 325° for the time recommended in the chart until the meat thermometer reads 155°. The roast will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven.6. Take the roast out of the oven and cover it loosely with a foil tent. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes or until the temperature rises to 160°. After standing, the roast also will be easier to carve. Avoid covering the roast tightly because doing so will create steam, which will soften the surface of the veal.Broiling or Grilling VealBroiling and grilling are great ways for cooking bone-in and boneless veal rib or loin chops or ground veal. Less-tender cuts, such as blade or arm steaks, broil and grill best if they're marinated first. The tips below use direct heat. For more information on using your grill, check out the instruction booklet that came with your grill. Check the Timetable for Broiling or Grilling Veal, below, to determine the right oven temperatures and times for each cut.1.Choose a cut of veal from the Timetable for Broiling or Grilling Veal. If you like, marinate the veal first.2.To Broil: Set oven to broil. Check your oven manual for whether the oven door should be open or closed during broiling.To Grill: Heat the coals or gas grill to medium spread the coals to a single layer.3. To Broil: Place veal on the rack in the broiler pan. (For easy cleanup, line the pan with aluminum foil first.) Position the pan so the top of the veal is the distance from the heat recommended in the chart.To Grill: Place veal on the grill the distance from the heat recommended in the chart.4. Broil or grill the veal for about half the recommended time or until it's brown on one side.5. Turn the veal, and continue broiling or grilling until it's done to your liking. To see if it's done, cut a small slit in the center of boneless cuts or in the center near the bone of bone-in cuts. Medium-rare is very pink in the center medium is light pink in the center and well-done is brown all the way through. If you like, season the veal after it's done.Panbroiling VealPanbroiling is a quick, fat-conscious way to cook veal because drippings are poured off as they form. In other words, the meat doesn't stew in its own juices. Panbroiling is a great way to cook veal chops and patties. Check the Timetable for Panbroiling Veal to determine the right oven temperatures and times for each cut.1.Choose one of the cuts for panbroiling from the Timetable for Panbroiling Veal.2. Use a heavy nonstick skillet, or coat a regular skillet with a film of vegetable oil or cooking spray. Heat the skillet for 5 minutes over medium-low to medium heat if the veal is 5/8 inch to 1 inch thick, medium-high for cuts 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.3. Put the veal in the skillet don't cover and don't add oil or water.4. Cook for the time recommended in the chart, turning once. Occasionally turn cuts that are thicker than 1/2 inch. Drain excess drippings from the skillet as they form. Cook until veal is brown on both sides and slightly pink in the center. To see if the veal is done, cut a small slit in the center of boneless cuts or in the center near the bone of bone-in cuts. If you like, season the veal after it's done.From "Betty Crocker's Complete Cookbook, Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, 9th Edition." Text Copyright 2000 General Mills, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.