Spring Veal Stew (with variations)

Spring Veal Stew (with variations)

This is a favorite of mine and my dad's. (From: "The Minimalist - Saving Time, Snicker-Snack!"

by Mark Bittman)

The charm of most braised dishes is that they always result in succulent, tender meat and require little attention after the first step of browning. The sad truth, however, is that most meat needs hours of simmering (sometimes many hours) before it becomes tender.

Not so with the odd cuts of veal from shoulder or leg, which can be cubed and cooked as a stew, one that can be varied in myriad ways. Veal turns tender faster.

Any number of ingredients can be added to steer the dish in different directions. At this time of year, it's nice to use young onions and peas (you might substitute one" lengths of asparagus for the peas). As the weather gets warmer, a tomato-based stew seems more appropriate.

With veal, the smaller the chunks the quicker they cook. This is a very basic and often-ignored principle of cooking: spend a little more time with the knife and you sometimes spend a lot less time at the stove. Cubes measuring about one inch are best.

Smaller chunks have another advantage: They brown faster, in just a few minutes. This not only guarantees a full-flavored stew but also reduces spattering and stove-top mess.

When you are browning the meat, keep the heat high and do not move the cubes around. Let the pieces sear so that they really have a chance to darken. Check a few pieces to be sure they are good and browned before proceeding to the next step. It's really only necessary to brown on one side.

Another warning: don't add too much liquid to the dish; the meat, and any ingredients like onions, tomatoes or olives, generate plenty of juices as the covered stew simmers gently.

Time: 1 hour

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1-1/2 to 2 pounds veal cubes, no side larger than 1-1/2"

1 sprig fresh tarragon, or 1/2 tsp dried tarragon

1 pound spring onions or shallots, peeled (if large, trimmed and halved),

     or scallions, each cut in 2 or 3 pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup white wine or water

1 cup fresh shelled peas, snow peas or frozen peas.

1. Put a 12" skillet over high heat, and a minute later add oil and butter. Add the meat, in one layer (if you use the larger amount of meat you may have to cook in batches). Cook, undisturbed, until the meat is nicely browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes.
2. Add tarragon, onions and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften and any meat stuck to bottom of pan is released, about 5 minutes. Add liquid, stir, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook 30 to 40 minutes, or until the veal is tender.
3. Uncover, add peas and raise the heat to medium. Cook about 5 minutes, until the peas are done. Adjust seasoning, garnish if you like and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.

Other Tastes, Other Styles

Here are variations for the stew:
Veal Stew, Provencal Style: Use all olive oil. Omit the tarragon, onions and wine or water. Add instead 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed; 20 basil leaves, washed and roughly chopped; 2 cups seeded and chopped tomatoes, and 1 cup good black olives. Omit the peas as well. If necessary, uncover to reduce the liquid until the stew is thick. Garnish with more chopped basil. Serve with bread.

Veal Stew With Bacon and Mushrooms: In Step 1, render 1/4 lb chopped slab bacon in 1 tbsp olive oil until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, then brown the veal in the fat (pour some off first if it seems excessive). In Step 2, omit the tarragon; cook the onions with a few sprigs of thyme and 1 cup trimmed and chopped mushrooms; after the onions soften, add the liquid as above. In Step 3, return the bacon to the pan, and cook about 5 minutes more. Serve over buttered noodles or with bread.

Veal Stew With Paprika: Use all butter. Omit the tarragon; instead add 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed, and 2 tsp good paprika. Omit the peas, and stir in 1 cup sour cream. Serve over rice.

(5/10/00)