Veal Breast Stracotto Food

MEAT LOVERS MANICOTTI STRACOTTO-STYLE

Steps:

• In a 5 quart pot, place veal, beef, chicken, onion with attached cloves, carrots, celery, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, rosemary, basil and peppercorns. Pour in enough water to just cover the top of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and simmer partially covered for three hours. If water evaporates, add enough water to finish the three hour cooking time.
• While the meat cooks, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the manicotti to slightly under-cooked, about 7 minutes. Cool under cold water and hold for later.
• After three hours, cool, strain and pick out the beef, chicken and veal meat and discard the remaining bones and other solids. Reserve one cup of the liquid. You should have about 1 ½ pounds of meat.
• Place the meat in a food processor and pulse until finely ground, using the one cup of cooking liquid if needed to loosen the mixture until it is the consistency of a pate. We used the full cup.
• Mix the ground meat with the eggs, 1 ½ cups of Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. This will be the filling for the manicotti.
• Fill a large pastry bag (no tip) with the filling.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place one cup of the tomato sauce in a 9 X 13 or larger glass dish or pan and spread to coat the bottom. Use two pans if too crowded, depending on how many manicotti you are filling. We fit 14 in a 9 X 13 glass dish.
• Pick each manicotti up and slide the tip of the pastry bag into one end and into the center and squeeze in the filling. Turn it and fill the other side then place the filled manicotti in the prepared pan. Repeat for all manicotti.
• Pour the remaining 1½ cups of sauce over the manicotti and cover with the mozzarella and the remaining ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese.
• Cover the top with parchment paper and foil and bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

STRACOTTO DI MANZO (ITALIAN POT ROAST)

Steps:

• Place dried porcini mushrooms in hot beef stock to reconstitute and soften for about 30 minutes.
• Season both sides of the beef with salt and pepper, plus any dried seasonings that you prefer.
• Pour olive oil into a large, deep cast iron dutch oven pot or a lined cast iron pot (such as Le Creuset).
• Add the beef to the pan to sear (brown) on each side for about 7 minutes, turning only once, totaling about 15 minutes. While beef is searing, sprinkle about a teaspoon of chopped garlic all over to saute with the beef.
• Remove beef from the pot and place on a platter.
• With a sharp knife, cut slits in the beef and insert the slices of garlic.
• In the hot olive oil, saute the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and pancetta.
• Then add the chopped garlic and saute for another 3 - 5 minutes, being very careful not to burn the garlic.
• Deglaze the pan with about 2 Tbsp. deep, dark red wine (merlot or burgundy) and simmer until the wine is reduced but not completely evaporated.
• Add 3 Tbsp. or more of tomato paste and the cans of imported Italian tomatoes and juice, squishing the tomatoes so that they fall apart as you pour them into the pot.
• Add all of the chopped herbs, except for the sprigs of thyme, rosemary, and Italian parsley which are added at the end of cooking.
• Gently stir everything together with a large spoon.
• Add the beef broth and red wine.
• Add the large cut up pieces of carrots, celery, and potatoes.
• Add the artichokes, roasted red pepper slices, and the crimini and porcini mushrooms.
• Place the garlic-studded beef roast back into the pot on top of the vegetables.
• Add a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the pot.
• Cover the pot with a lid and bake in the oven for 3 hours on 325 F degrees OR until fork tender (beef easily breaks up into pieces with a fork).
• Add the chopped Italian parsley for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• After roasting is finished, remove from the oven and cover loosely and allow everything to rest for 10 minutes.
• Garnish with fresh sprigs of rosemary and thyme, and minced Italian parsley.

STUFFED BRAISED VEAL BREAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Coat a large straight-sided saute pan with olive oil. Smash 2 of the whole garlic cloves with the heel of your hand and toss them into the pan with a pinch of crushed red pepper. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat. When the garlic is golden brown and very aromatic, remove it from the pan and discard it, it has fulfilled its garlic destiny.
• Add the spinach to the pan, stir to coat the oil and season with salt. Cover the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lid from the pan and stir the spinach, it should be wilted. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Transfer the spinach to a mesh strainer to let any excess water drain out.
• Return the pan to the burner and coat the pan with olive oil and add in 2 more garlic cloves that have been smashed with the heel of your hand. Repeat the process of cooking the garlic to golden brown and discarding. Toss in a pinch of crushed red pepper and the sliced mushrooms. Season the mushrooms with salt and cook until they are soft and wilted, add a little more oil if they are a little dry. Taste the mushrooms and adjust the seasoning if needed. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Squeeze out any excess liquid from the wilted spinach and coarsely chop. Add to the mushrooms, toss in the Parmigiano and stir to combine. Taste to make sure it is delicious. Reserve.
• Lay the meat out and gently pound to flatten. Sprinkle generously with salt. Lay the prosciutto slices down the middle of the veal. Lay a log of the spinach and mushroom mixture down the middle of the prosciutto. Roll the veal around the prosciutto and tie the veal with butcher's twine.
• Coat a Dutch oven with olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Add the veal roll and brown on all sides. Remove the veal from the pan and reserve.
• Ditch any excess fat and add a few drops of new oil. Add the onions to the pan, stir to coat with the oil and season with salt. Lower the heat to medium and cook the onions, covered, for 7 to 8 minutes.
• Uncover the onions, they should be very soft and wilted. Add the chopped garlic and rosemary and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and reduce by half.
• Return the veal to the pan and add chicken stock until it comes about halfway up the sides of the veal. Toss in the bay leaves and thyme bundle. Cover and place in the oven and cook for 1 hour.
• Remove the veal from the oven, turn over and add more stock if the liquid has reduced. Taste the braising liquid if the liquid level has reduced significantly. Cook for 1 hour.
• Remove the lid from the Dutch oven and braise for another 45 minutes to allow the liquid to reduce.
• Remove the veal from the oven, remove from the pan, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Place the Dutch oven on a burner over medium heat to reduce the braising liquid if it is too soupy. Taste the liquid to make sure the seasoning is correct.
• Slice the veal into medallions and serve with the braising liquid and onions.
• Wine Pairing Suggestion: Gavi

VEAL BREAST STRACOTTO

Steps:

• To season the veal, place the breast in a nonreactive baking dish and season it all over with the salt and pepper, using approximately 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of meat. If your butcher did not roll and tie the veal breast, roll it tightly lengthwise into a long log shape and tie it with kitchen twine in five or six places along the roll. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, if you are making the stock, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Place the veal bones on a baking sheet and roast them, shaking the pan occasionally for even cooking, until they're evenly browned, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the bones to a large stockpot. Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil over high heat, skimming off the foam that rises to the top. Add the leek, onion, and carrot, reduce the heat, and simmer the stock for 1 hour, skimming as needed. Remove the stock from the heat, pour it through a fine-mesh strainer, and discard the contents of the strainer. Use the stock, or set aside to cool to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
• To braise the veal, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Cut the veal in half, if necessary, for it to fit in the pan. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or large, high-sided sauté pan until the oil is almost smoking and slides easily in the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Place the veal in the pan to sear to deep brown on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the veal to a plate.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the prosciutto, and cook, stirring constantly, to render the fat but not to brown the prosciutto, 2 to 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil, and warm the oil for a minute or two before adding the celery, carrot, and onion. Season the vegetables with the pepper, and sauté until the vegetables are softened and slightly caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent it from browning. Move the vegetables to create a bare spot in the pan, add the tomato paste to that spot, and cook for 1 minute more, stirring, to caramelize the tomato paste slightly. Add the wine, increase the heat to high, and boil until it reduces by about half, about 5 minutes. Return the veal and any juices that have collected on the plate it was resting on to the pan. Pour in enough stock to come half to three-fourths of the way up the veal breast, about 4 cups. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the stock to a simmer. Turn off the heat. If you have industrial-strength plastic wrap, which won't melt in the oven, cover the Dutch oven or pan tightly with plastic wrap. In either case, cover tightly with aluminum foil and place the lid on if it has one. Place the veal in the oven for 2 hours. Remove the pot from the oven and uncover it. Add the turnips, nestling them in the sauce, return the lid to the pot, and place it back in the oven for about 1 hour, until the meat is fork-tender and the vegetables are tender. Remove the veal from the oven and remove and discard the foil and plastic wrap (if you used it) from the pan, being careful not to burn yourself with the steam that will rise from the pan. Allow the meat to cool in the braising liquid for at least 30 minutes. You can prepare the veal to this point up to five days in advance. Cool the meat and turnips to room temperature in the braising liquid. Remove the vegetables and transfer them to an airtight container. Cover the pot with plastic or transfer the veal with the liquid to an airtight container and refrigerate until you are ready to serve it. (You will proceed slightly differently.)
• If you have prepared the veal in advance and are rewarming it, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the veal and turnips from the refrigerator. Remove and discard the fat from the liquid and pour it into a large Dutch oven or stovetop-safe baking dish and cook as directed below to thicken. Remove the string and slice the veal as directed below and lay the slices in the sauce, resting them on top of one another, domino fashion. Nestle the turnips around the veal and place the dish in the oven for about 30 minutes, basting the vegetables and the veal with the sauce occasionally, until the meat is warmed through.
• If you are serving the dish the same day, remove the veal and turnips to a plate, skim the fat from the braising liquid, and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer the liquid until it is the consistency of a thick glaze or thin gravy, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the pan; it will be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• To make the garnish, combine the parsley leaves, celery leaves, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Drizzle the leaves with the finishing-quality olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and toss gently to combine.
• To serve, cut off and discard the string from the veal and cut it into eight slices of even thickness. Lay two slices of veal on each of four plates, resting one at an angle on top of the other. Nestle the turnips around the veal, dividing them evenly, and ladle the sauce over the meat. Pile the garnish on each serving, dividing it evenly, and serve.
• Barbera d'Alba (Piedmont)

PROVENçAL BREAST OF VEAL WITH SPRINGTIME STUFFING

Steps:

• Bring a large pot full of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the chard and spinach, bring the water back to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until thoroughly wilted. Drain and squeeze out as much moisture as possible, pressing the greens against a colander with a wooden spoon. Or for a more thorough job, use your hands when the greens have cooled somewhat. Finely chop, either by hand or by pulsing in a food processor.
• In a large skillet, sauté the minced garlic in 3 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat until pale gold, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chard and spinach. Cook, stirring, over medium heat, until the liquid is evaporated and the garlic is thoroughly distributed, 5 to 7 minutes. The greens should be very tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Sauté the onion in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat in 3 tablespoons of the oil until softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with the onions. In another saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Add the broth to the rice a few spoonfuls at a time, as if making risotto. Keep the heat medium-low, and stir, waiting until the broth is nearly absorbed before adding another spoonful. Cook the rice until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes in all. If you finish adding the broth and the rice is not yet tender, add a tablespoon or two of hot water, as needed. Season the rice with salt and pepper (taking in to account the saltiness of the broth you are using), add it to the chard and spinach, and set aside to cool.
• Break the head into single cloves and put them, unpeeled, into a small baking dish in which they fit snugly (I use a 5-inch-square porcelain ramekin). Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of the oil and 1 teaspoon of the thyme. Cover tightly (use foil if you don't have a lid), and roast for 30 to 45 minutes, until a soft puree is formed when you squeeze a clove. Avoid overcooking, which turns the garlic bitter. Squeeze the puree out by hand or run the unpeeled cloves through a food mill to trap the peels. Put the roasted garlic puree in a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon of the rosemary and the lemon juice. Stir well and set aside. Turn off the oven-you will be pan-braising the meat.
• In a food processor, pulse the remaining 1 tablespoon each of rosemary and thyme, the parsley, mint, and lemon zest until finely chopped. Add to the rice mixture. Stir in the egg until well combined.
• Trim the veal of gristle and as much fat as possible. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over, including the inside pocket. Fill the pocket with the stuffing, pushing the mixture as far in as possible, but don't overfill-it will expand somewhat while cooking. Sew the pocket closed. (A large embroidery needle and strong cotton thread or unwaxed dental floss work very well here. Or use a trussing needle and kitchen twine. I find skewering not as successful here-the stuffing is more likely to ooze out into the pan gravy.)
• In a 6-quart Dutch oven or heavy casserole just large enough to accommodate the veal, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until hot, but not smoking. Add the veal and brown it slowly on all sides, turning carefully with wooden spoons so you don't piece the meat. When it is thoroughly browned, arrange the meat so that the fat side is up. Spread the roasted garlic mixtue all over the top. Add the wine and bring to a slow bubble. Place the lid slightly askew, and braise at a slow simmer over very low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or longer, if necessary, until the meat is very tender. Use a flame tamer (blech) or stack two stove burner grates , if you must to keep the flame very low. Every 20 minutes or so, baste with the pan juices. If possible, turn the meat a few times; don't worry about losing the roasted garlic coating on top-it will add delicious flavor to the cooking juices.
• Transfer the veal to a platter, and let it stand for 10 minutes, tented with foil to keep warm. Boil up the cooking juices for a few minutes to concentrate the flavors, taste for seasoning, then transfer to a sauce boat.
• Slice the veal about 1/2-inch thick, making sure that the slices enclose some of the filling. Nap with some of the juices. Pass remaining sauce separately.
• Don't pass by this fabulous veal because your family refrains from eating rice on Passover. When my agent Elise Goodman wanted to prepare it for her seder, we came up with a wonderful alternative mashed potato stuffing.
• Prepare the stuffing according to the directions above, omitting rice and broth. Sauté the onion until rice gold and set aside. Simmer 3 1/2 cups russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed, in cold, salted water to cover, until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash the potatoes until smooth. Stir in the reserved sautéed onion (along with any oil remaining in the pan), and 1 additional tablespoon olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the potato mixture to the chard and spinach, set aside to cool, and continue with the recipe.

WHOLE ROASTED BREAST OF VEAL

Steps:

• Vaguely trim breast - just the fat globs on the rib cage and any especially skanky skin, if it even exists. If the blue U.S.D.A. ink stamp on the flesh offends you, remove it.
• Place breast in a deep roasting pan large enough to accommodate it, and season meat thoroughly and assertively with salt, all over, turning the breast ribs-side up as well, seasoning with salt all over. Do the same thing, less assertively by half, with ground black pepper. Set breast back in pan ribs-side down, and season the flesh side extremely conservatively with both ground juniper and ground allspice. A light hand here, please. Strip a few pinches of fresh thyme leaves from their stems, and scatter over the veal. Drizzle generously with the oil, allowing some to pool in roasting pan.
• Let the veal sit at room temperature to shake the chill from the refrigerator while you prepare the potatoes.
• Peel and cut into wedges 4 Yukon Gold potatoes, and scatter around in pan. Peel and halve the onion, and slice into 1/3-inch-thick half-moons. Scatter onion around in pan on top of potatoes. Keep potato and onion under the meat, not on top of it, so that breast can fully brown and get a crisp skin.
• Fill roasting pan 2 inches deep with water and white wine, in equal parts. Set in 275-degree oven, and let roast for up to 12 hours, depending on weight. Remove when it is deeply golden brown and soft and tender. You don't want it falling off the bone, but you should be able to see how loose and relaxed it has become in the layers. You may need to tent the pan with foil for the first or the last 45 minutes of roasting to give it a little braise time for the deepest interior, recalcitrant parts. Conversely, you may want to turn up the oven and give it a 30-minute finish in a hot oven to get better color.
• Pick out vertebrae. Slice off ribs. Then portion as you wish, using a sharp knife big enough for the job. Include the potatoes and onions and the liquid from the pan when you serve.

PAN-ROASTED HALIBUT PEPE VERDE

Steps:

• Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Combine the rosemary, garlic, and 1/4 cup of the olive oil in the bowl of a miniature food processor or the jar of a blender and purée. Rinse the fish fillets, pat them dry with paper towels, and lay them in a single layer in a nonreactive baking dish. Pour the marinade over the fish and turn to coat with the marinade on all sides.
• Combine the veal stock and peppercorns in a medium sauté pan over high heat. Bring the stock to a boil and continue to boil until it is glossy and has reduced by two-thirds, about 10 minutes. You want the liquid to be shiny and translucent with the consistency of a thick glaze or thin gravy. If you cook it for so long that it becomes dull and gravy-like, stir in enough water to obtain the desired consistency. Turn off the heat while you cook the fish. Just before serving, if the sauce has cooled, warm it over medium heat. Stir in the lemon juice just before serving.
• Remove the fish fillets from the marinade and season on both sides with salt. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat until the oil is almost smoking and slides easily in the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Place the fillets skin side down in the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes so the skin begins to brown and crisp. Place the pan in the oven and cook the fish for about 4 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. To check for doneness, look at the skin around the outer edges of the fish; you want it to be a rich, crunchy, french-fry brown around the sides. Remove the pan from the oven and slide a spatula under each fillet to turn it, taking care not to tear the skin or to burn yourself, as the pan will be searing hot. Return the pan to the oven and cook the fish for another minute. Remove the pan from the oven and remove the fish to a plate or cutting board.
• Line a plate with paper towels. Without wiping out the pan, place it over high heat and, working in batches, place the lettuce leaves in the pan for 30 seconds to 1 minute to wilt them slightly. Remove the leaves to a paper towel and use another paper towel to gently pat them dry. Drape two lettuce leaves in the center of each of four large plates, overlapping them slightly. Lay the fish on the lettuce and spoon the sauce, including the peppercorns, over the fish, dividing it evenly.
• Verdicchio di Matelica (The Marches)

PROVENçAL VEAL BREAST STUFFED WITH SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Make the filling: In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onions, season with salt and pepper and sauté until softened. Mix in the chopped garlic, thyme and rosemary. A few handfuls at a time, stir in the chard and, using tongs to toss, cook with the onion mixture until all the greens are soft, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer chard mixture to a large bowl. Stir in tomatoes, egg and matzo pieces, mixing well. You will have at least 5 cups cooked filling.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lay the meat flat on a clean work surface, season the top with salt and pepper and spread a thin layer of the filling (about half) evenly over the surface of the meat, leaving a 1-inch border. Reserve and refrigerate the remaining stuffing. Tightly roll the meat and secure it with kitchen twine, making a knot every 1 1/2 inches and tucking the meat in to enclose the ends. Season the outside of the roll with salt and pepper.
• Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet, turn the heat to medium-high and brown the stuffed veal on all sides. Transfer to a large roasting pan with a lid. (If your skillet isn't large enough, brown veal directly in the roasting pan, laid over 2 burners of your stovetop.) To the pan where you browned the meat, add wine and simmer for about a minute, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Spoon liquid over the meat. Scatter the carrots, large onion pieces and whole garlic cloves around the veal, place the bones, and pour in about 8 cups of water or enough to come halfway up the meat.
• Reduce oven to 325 degrees and cook, covered, 2 1/2 hours, basting every 20 minutes or so, until veal is cooked through and tender, 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.
• Remove the meat from the pan, set aside to cool, then refrigerate overnight. Strain the sauce, reserving the carrots and discarding the bones and the onions. Refrigerate sauce and carrots.
• The next day (or when ready to serve), remove and discard the fat from the sauce and simmer sauce in a small pot until reduced by 1/3. Season with salt and pepper. Using a long sharp knife, slice the veal into 1-inch portions. (Pull out kitchen twine as necessary). Carefully transfer slices to a large ovenproof serving dish or roasting pan, scatter the reserved stuffing around the veal and pour the braising liquid and carrots over the top. (You can refrigerate the whole dish at this point, to be reheated just before serving, or proceed to reheat the meat now.)
• Just before serving, reheat in a 350-degree oven, covered with foil, about 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve in individual portions or on a platter, with a little chard stuffing and carrots on top of each slice for color, and drizzled with some of the braising liquid.

ITALIAN POT ROAST (STRACOTTO)

Steps:

• Cut the garlic into thin slivers. Pierce the meat in many places with the point of a knife and insert the garlic slivers into the holes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy 3- to 4-quart heatproof casserole. Add the meat and brown it well over medium heat. Remove it from the casserole. Add the remaining oil and the onions, carrots and celery. Saute them until moderately brown.
• Stir in the wine and cook for a few minutes, scraping the casserole. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and basil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and return the meat to the casserole.
• Cover tightly and cook over very low heat for at least three hours, until the meat is very tender. Turn the meat a few times during cooking.
• Remove the meat from the casserole. To serve immediately, skim the fat from the surface of the sauce, then puree the sauce in a food processor and reheat. Otherwise, refrigerate the meat and sauce overnight. Remove any congealed fat from the sauce and puree the sauce in a food processor. Reheat the meat in the sauce before serving.