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Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Veal Marsala Ala Karen

We never buy veal for our table as Bev doesn’t think it is beefy enough and it’s usually pretty pricy, but when it becomes available for free and it can be used in a flavorful dish, now that’s a whole nother story.  I’ve mentioned on here many times that our neighbor across the street raises cattle and when he had a calf that was seriously injured and had to be put down, he had it butchered and put it in his freezer.  The neighbors are also not big fans of veal and I think it’s the same beefy issue that Bev has, so when I saw Karen’s recipe for Veal Marsala on her Back Road Journal blog, I thought this might be the perfect way to use some. 

While we have a Marsala recipe that we have used for both chicken and pork, we decided it would be nice to try a different one – check out Karen’s blog for the original recipe and a tempting photo.  I amended the recipe for five servings and the meat we had and that is the recipe I’ve shown below.

Veal MarsalaAdapted from Back Road Journal

Ingredients:
12 veal rib chops, bone, tail, and outside fat removed (we ended up with 1½ pounds of meat)
Salt and pepper to taste
Flour for dusting
3 Tbsp. butter plus an additional 6 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
24 oz. mushrooms, sliced (I used Baby Bella)
1 7/8 C. Marsala wine
18 oz. container of veal demi glace or beef stock (see note)
2 Tbsp corn starch
5 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley, divided

Note:  I roasted the trimmed bones and scraps along with some onion, garlic, carrot, and celery for about 45 minutes in a 350* oven.  Then I added this to a sauce pan, covered with water, and simmered for a couple of hours.  After straining, I ended up with four cups of rich stock.  I reduced this to two cups, added a can of beef consommé and reduced to the 18 ounces I needed.  Since it wasn’t demi-glace, I dissolved two tablespoons of cornstarch in it before adding it to the dish.

Directions:
1. After trimming, flatten the meat to about ¼ inch (I used my rubber mallet)
2. Pat the veal dry with paper towel, season each side with salt and pepper then dust lightly with flour, shaking off any excess.
3. In a large sauté pan, heat 1 Tbsp. butter with 1 Tbsp. oil over medium high heat. Without crowding, add some of the veal and sauté briefly 1 to 1½ minutes per side just until it turns a light golden brown, being careful not to overcook. Remove the veal from the pan and set aside.  (I kept it warm in a 120* oven)
4. Repeat as needed with another Tbsp. butter, olive oil and the veal until it’s all cooked. 
5. Using the same pan, add 2 Tbsp. of butter, the shallots and garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds.
6. Add an additional 2 Tbsp. of butter, the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. 
7. Sauté until the mushrooms are golden brown.
8. Add the Marsala and cook over medium high heat, stirring often, until the wine is reduced by half.
9. Dissolve the corn starch in the beef broth, add to the pan, and simmer until reduced by half.  (The sauce would have been too thin without the cornstarch).
10. Stir the remaining 2 Tbsp. of butter into the sauce, taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Add three tablespoons chopped parsley.
11. Return the veal to the pan along with any accumulated juices. Turn to coat and simmer the veal no more than a minute to heat through as the veal will dry out if even slightly overcooked. 

We served it over a pound of narrow egg noodles, which had been cooked al dente, drained, and added back to the hot cooking pan.  I tossed it with three tablespoons each of butter & EVOO, and two tablespoons of chopped parsley, then added the lid to keep it warm while the veal finished.


The meal got rave reviews from everyone as we all really liked Karen’s recipe.  Before she even got out of bed the next morning, Bev commented again about how much she liked it.  Thanks Karen for an outstanding meal.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

12/11/14 meal date

16 comments:

  1. Looks and sounds like and amazing meal, thanks for sharing.

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  2. Looks like a very successful recipe. The sauce sounds so good.

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  3. Wish I felt more like cooking some days. This sounds so good.

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  4. Oh, my mouth is watering! I love veal marsala or even chicken marsala. Nice neightbor to offer your the veal!

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  5. I just adore veal in any preparation, and I do love veal marsala or chicken marsala. Yours looks like it was terrific!

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  6. Hello There, I enjoyed your post today. It's no wonder you all enjoyed the veal entree... Looks delicious. Sorry I haven’t been around much lately. I do try to read blogs—but just haven’t commented very much lately like I usually try to do. Please don’t give up on me. Hopefully my life will be back to ‘normal’— whatever that is (ha), sometime in January.

    I did get a cortisone shot in my knee —which has helped with the pain somewhat. In January, I will most likely have meniscus tear surgery…. BUT—in the meantime, I plan to have a fantastic Christmas —and hopefully get to see my kids/grands… God is Good.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  7. Veal Marsala is a real classic and always a winner. I often order veal when we go. Only fine restaurants usually serve veal and I can count on it being done just right. Karen knows her way around the kitchen and I know this must have been wonderful.
    Sam

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  8. I wish I had a neighbor across the street that raised cattle.

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  9. I'm glad that you tried the recipe and that both you and Bev (especially Bev since she doesn't care for veal) enjoyed the dish. I love the way you made your own demi glace with the bones…great job.

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  10. Veal Marsala is great and yours looks delicious. This recipe works and I hope to find some veal soon. And that's one good neighbor.

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  11. I also noted Karen's recipe for Veal Marsala and bought the veal. It is still in the freezer, but now that you have tried it, I will have to try it too after the holidays.

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  12. Larry, Back from our pre-Christmas trip to New Olreans... I'm now trying to catch up with the blogs! Laurie loves veal marsala and conincidentally, she had this for dinner last night (Thursday) in Fairhope Alabama. Take Care and Merry Christmas, Big Daddy Dave, Laurie, J.D. and Dawn Marie too.

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  13. The only reason I don't buy veal, is because of the way milk fed veal are fed. However, that doesn't mean I don't like veal. This classic recipe is one of the ways to showcase veal Great job...one of my favorite meals and I love Karen's blog, too.

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  14. I don't buy veal very often either, same reason, pricey. But it sure is elegant creamy good. And that Marsala, whether it be chicken or veal is still on my "to make" list.

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  15. Free veal? Lucky you! Karen has great recipes and we love marsala recipes, so this one is sure to be made! Thanks for sharing it with us Larry!
    Roz

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  16. Love love love love love veal marsala and veal piccata is a close second. I'll have to try Karen's recipe.

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