Veal Pasta

For our first dinner after the New Year we decided to make one of our very favorite pastas. It has a French name: Tendrons de Veau Le Cameleon, but is really like an Italian Pasta with Veal Sauce.

You can use many different cuts of veal, but we use Oso Buco. It is braised on top of the stove. When done, all of the meat falls off of the bone and we scoop out the marrow and add it to the sauce. It is VERY rich and delicious. The recipe is in a wonderful cookbook: Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells.

For the first course we made a favorite winter salad: Shredded Radicchio with Anchovy Vinaigrette, Bread crumbs, & Sieved Eggfrom The Zuni Café Cookbook. You can find the recipe in our blog of: Jan 31, 2007. Click the date to get the recipe.

TENDRONS DE VEAU LE CAMELEON
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Le Cameleon's Braised Veal with Fresh Pasta
From Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells

In France, one of the most popular cuts of veal for stewing is tendron, the portion of the breast that contains the cartilaginous rib-like portions that visually resemble pork spare ribs when cooked. For this recipe, you can choose from any number of good cuts of stewing veal, including the breast (known in France as poitrine or tendron), the short ribs (haut de cotes), veal shoulder and shoulder chops (epaule or cotes decouvertes\ and the heel of round or shank (gite a la noix or jarrei). This is one of my favorite bistro dishes (both to prepare and to eat!) and I order it often when I go to the popular Paris bistro Le Cameleon. With it, I usually drink the fruity red Saumur-Champigny from the Loire.

2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 pounds breast of veal with the bone (ask your butcher to cut across the lower breast portion to make several strips of equal width) we use Oso Buco
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry white wine
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
2 medium onions, cut into rings
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped (or fresh thyme)
2 imported bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or fresh)
1 large can Italian plum tomatoes, with their liquid
1 pound fresh fettuccine Small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely

1. Heat the oil in a nonreactive, deep-sided, 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, begin to brown the veal in batches on both sides; do not crowd the pan. Be patient when browning; good browning is essential for the veal to retain all of its flavor. The meat should take about 5 minutes to brown each batch. Carefully regulate the heat to avoid scorching the meat. As each batch is browned, remove the veal to a platter and season gen¬erously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

2. When all of the veal is browned, pour out the fat from the skillet. Return all of the meat to the pan. Add the wine, carrots, onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the meat is very tender and the liquid is transformed into a thick, delicious sauce, about ll/2 hours. Keep an eye on the pan, mak¬ing sure the liquid remains at a quiet, gentle simmer.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt the water, add the pasta, and cook just until tender. Drain. Place the pasta on a large, warmed serving platter.


4. Using a flat metal strainer, remove the veal from the pan; place on top of the pasta. Strain the sauce through a sieve. Pour the sauce over the veal. Sprinkle on the parsley. Serve immediately, on warmed dinner plates.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings