Veal Rolls Stuffed With Spinach And Gruyère Recipes

VEAL ROLLS STUFFED WITH SPINACH AND GRUYèRE

Steps:

• Mash anchovy paste into 4 tablespoons butter in a bowl until combined. Gently pound cutlets to slightly less than 1/8 inch thick between 2 sheets of plastic wrap with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin. Pat cutlets dry and season lightly with salt and pepper, then spread 1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy butter over top of each cutlet. (You will have a little butter left over.) Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over anchovy butter, leaving a 1/4-inch border, then arrange spinach leaves, overlapping in 1 layer, to cover cutlets. Working with 1 cutlet at a time, arrange with a short side nearest you and roll up tightly, then secure with a wooden pick.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Pat rolls dry. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch ovenproof heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté veal, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer skillet to oven and bake veal until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer veal with tongs to a platter (reserve skillet) and keep warm, covered.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, then add wine and deglaze skillet by boiling (on stovetop) over high heat, scraping up brown bits, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, then add any juices accumulated on platter and swirl in remaining 2 tablespoons butter (not remaining anchovy butter). Cook over low heat until incorporated. Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

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.

PAN-ROASTED VEAL STUFFED WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Remove any large, thick stems from the spinach and rinse the leaves in cold water. Put the spinach in a pot with just the water that clings to the leaves and sprinkle with salt. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until all the spinach is wilted. Drain in a colander and press with a large spoon to remove as much water as possible.
• Lay the veal flat and trim the excess fat (do not remove all of it, or the roast will be too dry when done). Spread the spinach over the veal and add the garlic cloves evenly spaced apart. Roll up the veal jelly-roll fashion and tie it securely with kitchen twine.
• Put the butter and vegetable oil in a heavy braising pan that will hold the veal comfortably and place it over high heat. When the oil and butter are hot, put in the veal and brown it well on all sides. Season with salt and pepper, then add the wine. Allow the wine to bubble for 1 to 2 minutes to evaporate the alcohol and use a wooden spoon to loosen the tasty bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes. When they begin to bubble, lower the heat so that the contents of the pan cook at a gentle but steady simmer. Cover the pan with the lid slightly askew and cook until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Turn the meat from time to time and add a little water to the pan if all the liquid evaporates before the veal is done.
• When ready to serve, cut the veal in slices about 1/2 inch thick and remove the twine. If the sauce in the pan needs to be reduced, raise the heat and cook until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Arrange the veal slices on a platter and pour the hot sauce over them. Serve at once.

VEAL ROLLS STUFFED WITH PROSCIUTTO AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Put the slices of veal between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a flat mallet without breaking the tissues. Set aside. Combine the prosciutto and pork in a mixing bowl. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet and cook the onion, stirring, until it is wilted. Add this to the mixing bowl. Add the garlic, bread crumbs, nutmeg, pepper, lemon rind, egg and cheese. Blend well. Lay out the pieces of veal on a flat surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon an equal portion of the filling on each slice. Wrap the meat around the filling, folding and tucking the ends in envelope fashion. Tie each roll neatly in 2 places with string. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge the rolls all over in flour and shake off any excess. Select a heavy skillet large enough to hold the rolls in 1layer without crowding them. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and, when it is quite hot but not browned, add the veal rolls. Cook, turning occasionally, until the are nicely browned all over, 3 or 4 minutes. Reduce the heat and continue cooking over moderately low heat for about 15 minutes. Add the wine and stir to dissolve the brown particles that cling to the bottom and sides of the pan. Add the chicken broth. Bring to the boil and let cook over high heat for about 5 minutes. Remove the strings and serve the veal rolls with the sauce spooned over.