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.