Breast Of Veal Stuffed With Vegetables And Matzo Recipes

STUFFED BREAST OF VEAL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the carrot, celery, and onion; cook and stir until the carrot begins to soften, 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, and stir in the garlic and parsley; set aside.
• Beat the eggs and water with salt and pepper in a large bowl. Fold in the bread cubes until they absorb the egg mixture, then fold in the cooked vegetables; set aside.
• Cut a deep pocket into the veal breast with a long, narrow knife. Stuff the veal with the bread and vegetable mixture.
• In a small bowl, combine paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle generously all over veal. Place onto a roasting pan, and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven for 2 1/2 hours, then remove the foil, baste with pan drippings, and continue cooking 30 minutes more. When done, tent with aluminum foil, and allow the veal breast to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

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

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.

STUFFED BREAST OF VEAL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the carrot, celery, and onion; cook and stir until the carrot begins to soften, 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, and stir in the garlic and parsley; set aside.
• Beat the eggs and water with salt and pepper in a large bowl. Fold in the bread cubes until they absorb the egg mixture, then fold in the cooked vegetables; set aside. Cut a deep pocket into the veal breast with a long, narrow knife. Stuff the veal with the bread and vegetable mixture, and season with paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place onto a roasting pan, and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven for 3 1/2 hours, then remove the foil, baste with pan drippings, and continue cooking 30 minutes more. When done, tent with aluminum foil, and allow the veal breast to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

STUFFED BREAST OF VEAL

Steps:

• Have the butcher trim the breast of excess fat, cut a pocket into it and crack the large, flat chine bone to which the ribs are attached to make carving easier.
• Heat the fat in a large skillet. Add the onions and saute slowly until they are soft but not brown. Stir in the matzoh meal, apples, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add enough water to make the mixture moist, so it holds together without being gummy. You should have about four cups of stuffing. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Just before cooking, stuff the pocket of the veal with the stuffing and skewer the opening closed.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Scatter the sliced onions, garlic and carrots in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place the stuffed breast of veal on top and rub it with salt and pepper. Add enough water to the pan to cover the vegetables but not the roast. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, place in the oven and roast for two hours. Uncover the roast and roast for another hour or so, until the top is crisp and brown.
• Transfer the roast to a large carving board.
• With a slotted spoon remove the vegetables from the roasting pan and place them in a sieve suspended over a bowl. Skim as much fat as possible from the juices remaining in the roasting pan. Press the vegetables through the sieve and stir them back into the juices in the roasting pan. Place over medium high heat and cook, stirring and scraping the pan to loosen any particles clinging to the roasting pan. Taste the sauce for seasoning.
• Slice the roast into portions, cutting down between the ribs. Arrange the slices, each with a rib and stuffing, on a serving platter. Pass the sauce on the side. To serve a half portion, cut the slice of meat and stuffing away from the bone and divide it in half.

VEAL STUFFED WITH A MOSAIC OF VEGETABLES

Steps:

• To prepare the veal: Cut the strings or netting if the roast is tied (as it usually is), and lay out the meat in a slab. Trim off excess fat on both sides and any membranes or silver skin that cover the muscles. Turn the slab so the inside (where bones have been removed) faces up-it will be a rough rectangle of uneven thickness. The next step, butterflying, will enlarge and even out the slab to a nearly square sheet of meat of even thinness.
• With a long, sharp knife, slice into the thickest part of the meat, cutting from the middle of the slab toward the edge almost all the way through-then open up the flap you've created, like opening a book. Pound the butterflied section of meat to even it out. In the same way, butterfly portions of meat on other parts of the slab to spread and thin the veal, pounding each section after you slice and unfold it. Butterfly small mounds of thick muscle where necessary to thin it, or-if a hole opens in the sheet-butterfly an adjacent portion of meat and use the flap to cover the hole. Continue the gradual butterflying until the veal is about 16 inches on the long sides and about 12 inches on the short edges-roughly square and about 1/2 inch thick. Cover the veal with plastic wrap while you prepare the stuffing frittata.
• Pour the olive oil into the skillet, and set over medium-high heat. Toss in the sliced onions and carrot matchsticks; stir and cook for a couple of minutes, until sizzling, then toss in the zucchini and red-pepper strips. Sprinkle on 1/2 teaspoon of salt and several grinds of black pepper, and cook, stirring and tossing, for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly caramelized but still al dente. Scatter in the peas and the spinach leaves, turning them over with the other vegetables until they start to wilt and release their liquid. Continue to cook the vegetables, stirring frequently, until the excess water in the pan has evaporated.
• Meanwhile, beat the raw eggs with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, then whisk in the grated cheese and milk. When the spinach is cooked and dry, pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Cook, turning and scrambling the eggs with the vegetables, until the curds are set but still a bit wet and glistening. Remove the pan from the heat, and let cool briefly.
• Uncover the flattened veal sheet, and season the top with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Spread the vegetable frittata in an even mound the length of the veal, leaving several inches of the meat uncovered on both long sides, and an inch or so on the ends, to form flaps. Arrange the frittata so the vegetable sticks are distributed evenly and somewhat aligned lengthwise to give a mosaic effect when you slice the cooked roll. Set the hard-boiled eggs in a line nestled in the vegetable frittata. Again, for the prettiest cross-section, align the eggs end to end. (If you can't fit in all the hard-cooked eggs, enjoy any extras in another dish!)
• Fold one long flap of the veal over the filling, then the other, enclosing the eggs in a long oval. Starting at one end, tie the veal closed with loops of twine, spaced about 3 inches apart: use one long piece of twine to form a connected series of loops, or make several tight loops, to secure the roll all along its length. Tuck the open ends of the veal against the roll, and tie another length of twine lengthwise around it, so it is completely closed.
• Spread out the cheesecloth, set the meat on one of the short edges, and roll it up tightly in the cloth. Twist the cloth on each end of the roll-like a candy wrapper, tightening it up against the meat-and secure the twisted ends with twine. (If there's lots of excess cheesecloth on the ends, cut it off.) Finally, tie three or four tight loops around the cloth-wrapped roll along its length, further compacting and securing it.
• To poach the veal: Drop the chunks of onion, carrot, and celery, the bay leaves, and the 1/3 cup salt in the big saucepan, and set the tied roll on top. Pour in enough cold water to submerge the meat completely, cover the pot, and heat the poaching liquid to a gentle boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady, gentle bubbling, and let the veal cook, tightly covered, for 2 hours. The meat should remain completely covered while it cooks gently. Rotate the roll carefully in the pot once or twice, add water if necessary, and adjust the heat as needed.
• Turn off the heat after 2 hours, and lift the roll out of the poaching liquid (use tongs to grasp the twisted ends). Let the water drain off, then set the veal on a wide sheet pan or cutting board on an even surface. Place another sheet pan on top of the meat, and weight it down with your big saucepan (you can discard the poaching liquid first) or heavy cans or other objects. Center the weights atop the veal roll so it is evenly compacted.
• Keep the veal pressed for an hour or longer, until it cools to room temperature. Remove the weights, and pour off any liquid that has collected in the pan. Cut off the outer twine, and carefully unwrap the cheesecloth from around the meat; snip the inner loops of twine and remove it all. Transfer the veal to a cutting board, taking care to keep it intact.
• When you're ready to serve, slice the veal crosswise with a sharp knife, first cutting off one of the meaty end pieces (tomorrow's treat!), until you expose the colorful mosaic of stuffing. Slice as many pieces of cima as you'll serve-I like them about 2/3 inch thick-and arrange them overlapping on a platter. Or present individual portions, a slice or two on each plate, with spoonfuls of Salsa Verde alongside. Have bowls or goblets of Salsa Verde at the table, too.

ROAST STUFFED BREAST OF VEAL

Steps:

• Put the bread cubes in a small bowl and pour the milk over them; toss together, and let the bread soak up the milk, tossing the cubes every few minutes so they moisten evenly.
• Meanwhile, put the mortadella, onion, carrot, and celery pieces in the food processor, fitted with the steel blade, and chop them together into fine bits, processing continuously for about 1/2 minute; scrape down the sides of the bowl, and process briefly until everything is a pastelike mix.
• Pour the olive oil into a 10- or 12-inch skillet, and set over medium-high heat; scrape in the chopped stuffing and spread it in the pan. As it starts to sizzle, lower the heat considerably, stir, and sauté gently for 3 or 4 minutes to bring out the flavors-don't let the stuffing get crusty or colored.
• Squeeze the bread cubes firmly by handfuls to get out excess milk, and scatter them over the stuffing. Still cooking over low heat, break up the bread clumps with a spoon or spatula, and stir to incorporate completely. Mix in the chopped prunes, and cook them with the stuffing for a minute or so. Take the pan off the heat and scrape the stuffing into a bowl.
• Let the stuffing cool, then stir in the pine nuts, grated cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, and the beaten egg, mixing thoroughly.
• At this time, set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 400°.
• As I explain in the box (page 359), and as you can see in the photos, your stuffing method will vary with the size and cut of veal breast (and your own preferences). Follow these general steps to prepare the breast: Rinse and dry it thoroughly. Check the breast for pockets of fat and remove. There is often a clump of fat on the bony side, where you will see a flap of meat partially covering the ribs. Lift this flap, and cut away the fat hidden inside. Do not remove the skin on the bottom-either from the ribs or the meat flap-as it helps hold the breast together.
• This flap of meat, under the ribs, is the one I use to wrap around the stuffed breast in the photos. Cut it off, shave off the silver skin from both sides, then pound it with a meat hammer or tenderizer until it is paper-thin, like carpaccio. And there's your wrapper!
• To stuff: Follow the method shown in the photos, first cutting a pocket in the meaty layers on top of the ribs, then filling it with your stuffing. Enclose the breast and exposed stuffing with the pounded veal flap (or use bacon strips or prosciutto slices), and tie securely with kitchen twine.
• If you have a whole veal-breast tip cut, you need only slice open the pocket on the wide side down to the tip and push the stuffing in toward the closed tip. Then tie the roast closed.
• Put the tied breast in the roasting pan and sprinkle the salt all over, patting the crystals into the meat. Pour on the olive oil and rub it all over. Set the breast, rib side down, in the center of the pan.
• Put all the chopped vegetables, the prunes, and the seasonings (except the salt) in a big bowl, and toss with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. If your broth is unsalted, add 1 teaspoon salt to the vegetables-use less salt or no salt if your broth is salted already. Scatter the vegetables and seasonings around the veal in the pan. Pour in the white wine and 2 cups or more broth or water, so the cooking liquid is about 1/2 inch deep in the pan.
• Cover the pan with one or more long sheets of aluminum foil, arching the foil if necessary to keep it from touching the meat and vegetables. Crimp the foil around the rim of the pan, and press it tightly against the sides all around, sealing the veal and vegetables in a tent.
• Set the pan in the oven and roast for an hour, then bring the roasting pan up front and carefully remove the foil. The veal should be lightly browned and the juices bubbling. Baste with the juices, turn the vegetables over, and push the pan back into the oven.
• Roast for another hour or so, uncovered, basting every 20 minutes and rotating the pan back to front for even cooking. The top of the veal breast should be brown and crusty, the vegetables lightly browned as well, and the liquid considerably reduced. Remove from the oven.
• Lift out the veal breast with a large spatula, or by holding it with towels, and rest it on a platter while you start the sauce.
• With a potato masher, crush the cooked vegetables in the juices, breaking them up into little bits. Set the sieve over the saucepan, and pour everything from the pan through it, pressing the solids against the sieve with a big spoon to release their liquid, then discard the remains. Let the juices rest, and when the fat rises to the top, skim it off. (Putting the pan in a bowl of ice water will help the fat to congeal, if you are in a hurry.) Set the saucepan over high heat, bring the juices to a boil, and reduce them, uncovered, until they've thickened to a syrupy sauce.
• Meanwhile, return the veal to the roasting pan and pour any accumulated juices into the saucepan. Baste the veal one more time with hot juices, and put it back in the oven to roast for 30 minutes more, until it is dark and crusty on top and the sides are browned as well.
• To make sure the stuffing is cooked too, insert an instant-read thermometer into the stuffing layer. At 160°, it is ready.
• Remove the veal from the oven, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Cut away the kitchen twine. Remove the ribs, loosening them with a knife, and pulling them out one at a time while holding the roast steady.
• Slice crosswise into thick slices with a sharp, serrated knife. Lay the slices on a warm platter, showing off the stuffing layer, and moisten with the sauce. Pass more sauce at the table.
• *Cut them in small pieces, as listed, for sauce. To serve roast vegetables, cut them as described on page 344.
• This stuffing is excellent for turkey and chicken.
• The meat business has changed in my lifetime. Most retail butchers don't get meat in large quarters and "primal" cuts that they skillfully divide any way we ask. Supermarket meat departments, I've found, only get pre-cut sections of the most popular meats, which require minimal cutting before they go out in the case.
• Unfortunately, the ideal veal breast for this recipe is not an item much in demand. It may take dedicated searching to find a butcher in your area who can fabricate the perfect piece: a 5-pound bone-in breast cut, from the tip. That's the very end of the breast, farthest from the front leg, and it has two advantages: lots of cartilage, which adds flavor and richness, and a naturally closed pocket at the tip, which makes stuffing easy.
• On the day we tested this recipe and took these photos, I couldn't get a breast tip anywhere. The piece shown here (which came from a Manhattan supermarket) is only 3 1/2 pounds and cut from the middle, not the closed end of the breast. As you can see, the pocket that I cut for the stuffing is open on both ends.
• I wondered, though, how would I keep the stuffing in? My first idea was to wrap bacon or prosciutto slices around the openings and tie them in place. But we didn't have any in the kitchen that day-and there was no time for shopping. So I did something quite acceptable in cooking-I improvised. I took a flap of veal meat that is hidden under the ribs, next to the cutting board in the photos. I trimmed and pounded it and made a sheet that covered the holes neatly. Tied in place, the patch worked fine. No stuffing was lost, and we enjoyed our roast and delicious sauce for lunch and supper too.
• One of the important-and challenging-lessons in cooking is that we cooks learn to make do with what we have.

STUFFED BREAST OF VEAL WITH PARSLEY AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Mix the soaked baguette, garlic, parsley, one of the diced onions, the eggs, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste in a medium bowl.
• Season the outside and the pocket of the veal with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place the stuffing in the veal pocket. Using skewers or large toothpicks, close off the pocket to seal in the stuffing.
• Heat a thin film of oil in a heatproof casserole large enough to hold the veal, and slide the stuffed veal on top. Sear the veal on all sides until golden brown, then remove to a plate.
• Spoon the remaining onions, the carrots, tomatoes, and ginger into the casserole. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and cook until the onions are translucent. Return the veal to the casserole, and add enough water to cover the veal halfway. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours, or until tender.
• Cool, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove the fat that has accumulated, and slice the veal with its stuffing. Heat the veal slices in the veal juices with the vegetables for about 20 minutes, or until heated through and serve on a plate with green beans and onions (see page 315).