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Breast of Veal stuffing


markk

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I make a lot of breast of veal because my supermarket has them a lot and they're beautiful, and because I'm addicted to the veal stock I get. I always use a minimum of one bottle of an assertive wine (such as a Sauvignon Blanc or something with some real varietal flavor (not just a bland, quasi-tasteless white), and a minimum of a quart of either homemade rich chicken stock, or some of the better boxed ones, reduced before I use them. When I can get a good job of de-fatting, I can get a lot of rich stock (there's a lot of gelatin in them there breast bones) which reduces quickly to a glaze.

I basically braise it, but I'll also stick it under the broiler here and there if I'm not getting enough browning or crisping.

Oh, yeah - it doesn't bother me one way or the other if the butcher cuts a pocket for stuffing (as long as I remember to remove the paper), but I never stuff my breast of veal. Reasons are such things as it cooks for so long - 4 hours, maybe more, and I can't think of anything that will cook for that long and still be delicious or not disintegrate and fall out.

So... any suggestions for something I could stuff my long-cooking breast of veal with?

Many Thanks!

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

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My mother regularly made stuffed breast of veal and I absolutely adored it. Unfortunately I can rarely get the cut around here, so I haven't made it in years. Your post reminded me that I should pick up a veal breast soon. Anyway - it's Hungarian-ish, and the stuffing had no problem holding up to the lengthy cooking time.

Saute two or 3 chopped stalks of celery and a chopped onion in butter or olive oil until softened. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Tear a loaf of challah or good Italian bread into pieces, soak briefly in warm water, then squeeze all the water out by hand and place in a bowl. Add the sauteed mixture, one or two beaten eggs and a lot of chopped fresh parsley (much more than you think is decent). Adjust seasoning with s and p if necessary.

Now, make a paste of fresh garlic, salt, pepper, plenty of good paprika and olive oil. Smear all over the veal breast - inside the pocket, outside all surfaces. Stuff with stuffing and sew the opening up with kitchen string. Place this in a shallow roasting pan, add a small amount of some kind of liquid - white wine, broth, whatever - just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for umpteen gazillion hours at, I don't know, 325? 350? until tender and you can't stand it anymore. You can remove the cover at some point to allow the veal to brown.

That's pretty much it. My mother used to let it cool slightly and then slice crosswise so that every slice had a portion of stuffing and the surrounding meat. Done. It's also good at room temperature.

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The only times I have made stuffed breast of veal it was using Julia Child's recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. My book is in storage so I can not summarize, but it is a standard French prep and very good.

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