Veal

Veal is generally perceived of as a luxurious meat, even though some lesser-known cuts are relatively inexpensive. It is extremely versatile and lends itself to nearly every cooking method, from braising and roasting to grilling and sautéing. None of these techniques is difficult, but you do need to know the structure of the animal to know which cuts are best for which dishes.

The most high-priced cuts come from the back of the animal, the muscles that run parallel to the spine. These cuts can be bought in large pieces and roasted—a large veal roast is an expensive and elegant purchase that usually has to be special ordered—or cut into smaller pieces for grilling or sautéing. Tougher cuts from the shoulder are usually sold as stew meat, but the shoulder also makes a perfect pot roast. The leg is a bit more complicated, since it contains both tender and tough muscles. The most tender muscle, the round, is indeed round, almost spherical, but sags a little like a large water balloon resting on a counter. Other muscles in the leg can be braised gently in stews or sliced and pounded.