Dinner on our second evening in New York featured a starter of incredibly fresh artichokes, boiled and served at room temperature accompanied by a thick vinaigrette (with lots of red onions and parsley blitzed into it). The main course was a wonderful veal roast (I LOVE VEAL – and let’s not get into the “ohh, they’re such baby cows†discussions as I also love baby “Spring lamb†as well) served with a simple sauce/gravy, some 
mashed potatoes and a ratatouille (or zucchini and tomato vegetable dish). A large dollop of mashed potatoes also bathed in gravy and this was just heaven for me. The veal was incredibly tender and the taste…fantastic! U.S. veal is much better than say Australian veal, in my opinion, and I am not sure if it is because they are actually milk fed (the color of the meat is also incredibly pale), the type or content of the feed, or what? The Australian veal you find in Manila on rare occasions is almost as blood red as beef… At any rate, in a later post, I shall discuss the shortage of beef currently plaguing the U.S. market, leading to incredibly high prices for veal and beef… Gosh, I really wish someone would import some decent veal roasts into the local market… And oops, I forgot to ask my sister what the China was used that evening, a flowery pattern on a Spode? perhaps plate…
13 Responses
The floral plate is vintage Minton.
I read somewhere that veal is pale because apart from just being milk-fed, it is also made anemic on purpose.
I tried the local roast calf and it was good enough, is there a difference? And yeah, floral plate is lovely…
I think the difference would lie on the calf’s diet and living conditions. If the calf is mainly milk-fed and confined, it produces a pale (due to lack of iron and protein – hence ‘anemic’), pinkish color and has a more tender and finer texture. On the other hand, if the calf’s feed is solid such as hay, grain or soya, the meat is reddish and tougher due to muscle development and movement. I think the latter is what is mainly on the local market. Local calf meat is nevertheless very good and probably healthier.
The china really perks up your veal roast which in itself looks good. It acts like magnet attracting the appetite. Great dinner company really makes the evening great! Sister you are a woman of impeccable taste and style in all horizons – food, china, silverware, etc.
thanks jade…i totally agree with you, the local calf is indeed good and the meat was very tender as i remember it.:}
How do you cook the veal? How many minutes per pound in the oven and to what degree? Please share the recipe.
The veal we get here in Australia is pale and very tender. Haven’t had any US veal so don’t know how it compares. One of my favourite veal recipes is veal wrapped in prosciutto with sage and garlic then roasted. Yum : )
DeeBee, interesting to hear your veal is so pale, for some strange reason, the Australian veal sent to Philippine retailers is so red…maybe its just a lousy supplier… Mangaranon, sorry, I didn’t cook the roast, but I suspect it was just seasoned with salt and pepper and possibly some herbs and stuck in an oven until medium doneness…
Mangaranon:
The roast pictured is a whole boneless leg of veal, rolled and tied, seasoned with salt and pepper, fresh thyme. You can also use a shoulder of veal. Brown first in a very hot fry pan with 2 tbsp. of oil. Place on top of diced 1 c.onion, 1/2 c.celery and 1/2 c.carrot,and 1 tsp.thyme in a roasting pan. Roast in a 350F oven until desired doneness is reached, about 15 min a lb. for medium, 20 min. for well done. Easy gravy: Dissolve 2 tbsp. cornstarch in 2 c. good veal or chicken broth. Remove roast and add 1/2 c. white wine to pan and scrape browned bits up over high heat. Add stock and boil 1 minute. Strain. Untie veal and let sit 15 min. before carving.
Hi! Where can I get veal here in Manila? I’ve been trying to get my hands on some of them since forever!
Paula, they sell a few different cuts of veal at Santis delicatessen, with branches in QC, Greenhills and Makati + more. But it isn’t the best veal… but at least you can get some if you really want it…
teach me how to make a ratatouille mm… i’d like to take advantage of its popularity now so i could serve it to my kids :}