Kaoru: Veal Chops with Rosemary

$45 for three veal chops?!?! Sure, they were handsome one-inch plus cuts from a fantastic butcher, but at $19.99/lb., we opted for two chops instead.

Mr. Martini and I prepared the veal together over the weekend, as a side, for a large dinner to which we were invited. Despite only having an hour beforehand, we dry-brined, a la Zuni. After browning both sides for a few minutes, using rosemary from the yard (instead of sage), we popped our gorgeous chops in to a 400* oven.

When they emerged ~10 minutes later, they sizzled and spat all over the counter and filled the kitchen with an aroma -- not quite like pork or beef, but wonderful nonetheless.

We served them on a wooden cutting board, cut into thick slices. They were great -- tender and moist to everyone's liking! The salt/pepper was just right and the rosemary (while not strong) was a nice touch. Mr. Martini, who is a more discerning veal eater than I am, loved it as well.

Like Jer, neither of us had ever purchased or prepared veal chops before. We were really happy to have tried it and to have discovered how straightforward the preparation is. Susan, I'm glad you posted this dish as it encouraged us to try something new!

If only the chops weren't so expensive ...

Jer: Veal Chops with Sage

I realized today when I bought the veal chops at the market that I’ve never made nor ordered veal before. I found that piece of Jer trivia very interesting given I’m not shy about trying foods. I’ve certainly used ground veal mixed with ground beef and pork for meatballs and tortellini stuffing, but never have I prepared or ordered a dish of plain old simple veal. I wondered all night what it is about veal that has caused me to shy away from it all these years and have yet to come up with a reason. Go figure.

The veal chops were relatively expensive at ~$17 a pound so I decided to pair it with braised cabbage - an incredibly inexpensive, delicious and ridiculously easy vegetable to make. For $4 and five minutes of effort you can create a delicious and hearty side dish. I chose red cabbage as I thought the contrast with the crispy green sage would be nice.

To make braised cabbage you quarter a head of cabbage and put it in a shallow pot or pan. Sliver an entire onion as well as a carrot or two. Generously drizzle with good olive oil and pour in enough chicken stock so that part of the cabbage is covered (maybe a third of the way up the cabbage). Season with salt and pepper, cover, and put in the oven at 300 for two hours (with the cover off for the last half hour). So easy and your house will smell amazing while its braising. This dish reheats really well and is a perfect pairing with any meat. I use it a lot, especially when cooking for a large group of people, since cabbage is so inexpensive and so underrated at the table (hence it gets a lot of “Wow, I can’t believe this is cabbage!”)

I drizzled balsamic syrup (not vinegar but the really thick syrup which, by the way, elevates caprese salads unlike any balsamic vinegar you will ever use) on the veal chops. I liked the chops but didn’t love them. I think its just the flavor of veal that doesn’t do it for me. But I loved the easy cooking method as well as the crispy sage. Crispy sage by the way is a wonderful topping (and color contrast) to whipped or mashed sweet potatoes. I think I'll try the crispy sage next time with pork chops and braised endive -- a cheaper cut of meat, a more expensive vegetable, but the same cooking methods used tonight.

Kaoru: Mac & Cheese (Part II)

I wanted to do so much tonight -- talk on the phone, catch up on sleep, work, read my growing stack of WSJs -- but none of it seemed appealing. Since posting my anemic-looking mac & cheese months ago, I'd been haunted by the dish. I was itching to revisit it, to make it both gooier on the inside and crunchier on top. So rather than responsibly tackling my list of to dos tonight, I went to the market after dinner and tackled the mac & cheese instead.

The biggest changes with what I did were combining just the right amount of macaroni (I think I may have added too much the first time) and adding another splash of milk to the final mixture. I also incorporated pieces of torn ham, sprinkled a LOT more panko crumbs on top and broiled the last 5 minutes to golden perfection. What resulted was a perfectly gooey, and amazingly crunchy delight ... just the way I love it. I'm so glad I passed on doing any form of real work tonight.

Julie: Lemon Risotto & Veal Chops

Despite it being just the two of us for dinner last night, I decided to bite the bullet and make both recipes. I haven't felt like cooking for a while (more on that later), but now I was ready to get rolling again! It was glorious being back in the kitchen, banging around, playing with fire!

I started the lemon risotto first, and just like Jer, I couldn't imagine doing it without shallots and white wine, which is how I start every risotto (except the duck risotto which I made with red wine, which was perfect for the ducky flavor). I used the lemon zest and the juice at the end, and omitted the cream, just like Jer. The flavor came out very nice, quite bright and intense... I've never had a citrus risotto before so it was a pleasant surprise.


The veal I did in an all-clad skillet on the stove, and then popped it into a 450 degree oven to finish. Started with some brown butter and olive oil, plopped the chops in, sprinkled on some sage, and then when one side was nicely browned, flipped them over and popped them in the oven. All told, took maybe 12 minutes total. It came out so moist and tender, really really delicious. I couldn't taste the sage much though. When I pulled the chops out, there were of course beautful brown bits all over, some drippings, and of course the fried sage... I couldn't let all that go to waste could I? So I whipped out some more of the white wine and broth from the risotto making, and deglazed it into a sauce, which I thought was delicious, and was the only place I could taste the sage. Overall a lovely, simple way to cook veal chops, which I had never made before. Definitely elegant and delicious enough to serve company, but plenty simple to make on a weeknight.

In terms of the pairing, I thought the risotto and the veal a bit of a strange pairing. I think next time the risotto would be fantastic with some nice fish, maybe even a great way to use up some leftover salmon or white fish, just stir the pieces right into the risotto. I bet it would be a great match. As for the veal, would go with anything a bit more straightforward-- perhaps a traditional risotto, or a nice orzo or something like that. Where the lemon and the veal weren't fighting for center stage! But a great dinner none the less...

As for the not feeling like cooking part, it wasn't my fault, blame:


Feeling much better now that we are out of the first trimester, and back to enjoying food again! Can't wait to hear what you all have been up to!

Getting ready to rumble...

Veal chops are luxuriating in their salt rub, ala Zuni! Can't wait to make these guys... splurged and went to Bryan's for the meat, which is supposedly the best butcher shop this side of the country...we'll have to test out that grand assertion!