Veal Chop with Glazed Baby Vegetables

This is a narrative recipe because it is not precise - just get the number of Veal Chops you need and some baby (or young adult) vegetables. I made the dish with one chop, so multiply for the amount you are cooking.

Season the veal chop (at least 1 inch thick – better 1 1/2 in.) with garlic powder or garlic salt and Lemon Pepper and let set for about 30 minutes. The veggies are small red potatoes, some vertical-sliced pieces of onion, baby zucchini, sugar snap peas, small green beans and small carrots. While the veal was waiting to be cooked, I cut the potatoes into quarters and simmered them in a small amount of salted water just until tender – about 10 minutes – and set aside to drain. I didn’t precook the other vegetables. When ready, preheat the oven to 350 - start preheating about 8 minutes ahead, then heat a heavy frying pan over med-high heat. When the frying pan is hot, brush it with olive oil and sear the chop, turning after about 1 ½ minutes. When brown on both sides, remove pan from heat and transfer the chop to a small shallow pan. Place chop in heated oven (it will need to cook for about 5 minutes).

Return frying pan to high heat and pour about ½ cup chicken broth and 2 tbs. sherry into it, scraping up all the good stuff. Add a sprinkle of thyme, the carrots, zucchini, and onions and simmer for about 3 minutes, then add the other veggies. Add 1 tsp Soy Sauce and more broth if it is cooking dry. (The amount of broth, sherry and seasoning will depend somewhat on the number of chops, but don't do a direct multiple or you will have too much sauce - the goal is to be able to cook it down to a syrup. The amount stated for 1 chop should be increased by about 20% for two chops.) Taste juices and add salt and pepper if needed. The pan juices should cook down to a slightly syrupy consistency by the time the veal is ready. Pour any juices in the veal pan over the veggies , stir and serve. The trick is to time the cooking of the veggies so they do not over-cook while the veal is finishing in the oven. Veal should be cooked about medium – pink without red (medium rare is not as juicy or tasty in veal as it is in beef). The pan juices will have a better shine if you add some butter to the liquid when it first comes to the boil, but you can leave it out to reduce calories. The Soy Sauce adds a depth of flavor and helps with the color without making it taste like a Chinese dish. (Soy Sauce is a natural flavor enhancer that can be used in all sorts of dishes - moderation is the key, because it is so salty.)

This method of searing in a frying pan, then finishing in the oven works well with pork and chicken breasts – both of which can get really dry if left in liquid too long. I have also used it for really thick steaks, especially filet mignon, because it is easier to control the doneness in the oven than over direct heat.

Good luck with it – you may want to try the pan glazing methodology with a chicken breast first since veal is so damned expensive. I buy the chops whenever I find them on sale and stash them in the freezer to make a really quick and elegant meal.