Veal

Appears in

Published 2010

About

Thankfully there’s an increasing number of producers in this country rearing veal calves for the table - either organically, or at least using acceptable farming practices. For years, veal has been shrouded by controversy, but this is largely down to the dubious Dutch crate production system, which involves rearing young calves in cruelly confined pens and feeding them an unnatural diet in order to keep their meat as pale as possible.

Rearing calves naturally to produce rosé veal is really no more reprehensible than producing spring lamb for the table. The term rosé is used to differentiate this type of veal, which, naturally, has a pink-red tinge. Rosé veal has a lot of other merits over its pale counterpart. It may not be quite as tender but its flavour and texture are far superior and I think its darker colour makes it look a lot more inviting. The range of cuts is extensive too, offering plenty of flexibility in cooking. Any of the chops described below can be used for grilled veal chop with offal salad.