Veal chops...Where have you been my whole life???
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| Rinse and pat dry |
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| Season with salt & pepper |
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Sear in a hot pan with melted butter till golden brown on each side and finish in a preheated oven
Some recipes will say 3 minutes per side, and some will say more. I believe the ideal is...when one side is a nice golden brown...flip it over and do the same to the other side : ) If you think, okay, I'll sear for 6 minutes each side and the chops are golden brown before that time is up and you continue searing them...you risk over cooking them, making them dry and tough to chew (and tasteless). Same goes for a lesser amount of time, if they are not golden brown in 3 minutes...the time is too short! So...use your judgement and keep a close eye on them and sear until they are a nice golden caramelized brown on each side. Remove from pan and place in your oven to finish the cooking process. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. |
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| Add sliced mushrooms and chopped onion or shallot to the pan you seared your chops in... The mushrooms and onions will soak up the lovely flavor left in the pan. Add a sprig of rosemary, season with salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms have released their juices and the moisture begins to evaporate in the pan. |
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| Add approx. 1/2 cup of white wine to pan and let simmer for 2 minutes. Add home-made chicken stock and allow to simmer until the mixture begins to reduce. When the sauce reduces, approx. by half, stir in a bit of heavy cream if desired. I was wanting a creamy mushroom wine reduction sauce...so if it's not your thing, just skip that step. Be careful not to over reduce your sauce though, it's better to take it off the heat until you're ready to serve than to let it go too far, you want a nice flavourful sauce, not a syrup : ) |
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| I left my chops in the oven for approx 10 minutes while I finished my sauce and they came out between med and med rare. Medium rare is perfect I think...I am soooooo glad I didn't leave them in any longer or I would have ruined them by over cooking them. When you pull them from the oven, set them aside and tent them with foil to let them rest. Remember that meat continues to cook while it rests so don't be shy about pulling them out after 7-8 minutes. |
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| They smelled so delicious! This was my first time ever making veal chops and I was super nervous. Not only are they not a cheap cut but if you do it right, they are spectacular tasting : ) Worth every penny. |
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| Yummy sauce (remove the rosemary sprig before serving) |
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| Plate and serve....I served it over a mushroom risotto (sadly over done, but the first time I did that, so I cut myself some slack...me not perfect : ) yet ; ) |
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| Drizzle some of the sauce over the chop and enjoy. |
Just like the first time I ever had a lamb chop....when I tasted the veal, I couldn't help but wonder...why the heck it had taken me so long to try veal....it is sooooooooooooo gooooooooood!
Whether it is chili or spaghetti sauce, sometimes it is about personal preference/taste. We also don't always make things the same way twice do we? I think when it comes to a dinner like veal chops, it's not always about a specific recipe as much as it is a method of cooking. A sauce is a combination of flavors you love and the chops are a method of cooking (sear and finish in the oven). The advice I would offer when making a sauce, is to choose spices and herbs you enjoy, and when cooking with wine...just be sure to cook it for a couple of minutes to cook out the alcohol only leaving the flavor of the wine to enhance the flavor of your sauce...oh...and as I said before, be careful not to cook too long...you want a full flavor in your sauce but not a syrup which will happen if you let it go to long.
Ciao for now, and until next time Happy Cookin'
