I recently bought half a veal calf from our neighbour. I have bought meat this way several times and I find it very economical, for very good quality meat. However I am always a bit unsure of the best ways to prepare the more unusual cuts, such as the heart, tongue and sweetbreads! (I had to draw the line at the head, the prospect of preparing that was just a bit too daunting)! The person who bought the other half of the calf got the head!
Any ideas would be very welcome.
my favourite veal recipes are Osso Bucco…with the shin…I love a rump roasting joint cooked with sage and oranges and lemons… thick chops cooked on the barbeque with lots of herbs and brushed with butter…and I like the offal…my favourite is veal liver…cooked quickly in a mix of butter and oil…with sage and thyme and mixed mushrooms…only shown the pan so it is still soft and rare in the middle…and tripe…which I have a great recipe for…and for a quick meal that kids also love…thin veal escallopes…dipped in seasoned beaten egg, then into breadcrumbs, shallow fried till golden and crispy and served with lemon chunks, mixed salad and fries…heaven! One of the best bits of France for me is the ease of buying veal and the fact it isnt outrageously expensive as in the UK…hope this gives you some ideas.
I bought thismagazine when in the UK last week. It had a sweetbread, heart and liver recipe in there, and they all looked very tasty.
If you send me a private message, I will scan the pages in and send it to you - I might even be able to do it on here. Will try later on!
With calves liver, it needs very gentle cooking, almost like a steak, but with a gentler heat - it is fabulous!
I often look for receipes online too, but I wondered if anyone had any personal recommendations of their favorite ways to prepare these kind of cuts.
Even though I have a huge collection of cookbooks, I look online now - I have my laptop in the kitchen and it’s so easy.
I still use my cookbooks as I love to leaf through them in the evenings - it’s a bit of a family trait, and that is good for ideas also.
I keep an index book by my chair to jot down any particular recipe I like and where I find it.
But if time is of the essence, and it so often is, then the internet is good.
Tip: If surfing the web, so many sites are American - they have some fantastic recipes, so invest in a set of measuring cups and spoons as they so often give the measurements this way.
Happy surfing!
Hi Clara,
if you look online…put into Google whatever cut you wish to cook…you will find hundreds of wonderful recipe’s…I still own loads of recipe books, but truth to tell…I use the internet for most ideas now…and nearly all of them free!