FoodB

The picture for today's post barely has anything to do with Today's recipe, but I just couldn't get over that there was a baseball player named Coot Veal. I now have a new name for our future kids honey!

Jenn found this recipe basically because it included two things that we had in our fridge that were main ingredients, pancetta and mascarpone. Finding decent Veal chops turned out to be quite an adventure. Our normally reliable market, Plowboys, was all out of them so we had to pick them up at Albertsons. I don't want to knock Albertsons too much because the one near our house has a pretty decent selection of big BBQ meats, but when it comes to steaks and chops they tend to have the thinnest cuts possible. All of their meat is cut less than half an inch and that's fine in some situations, but I have been finding that a thicker cut is generally a better piece of meat.

Veal Chops Stuffed with Mascarpone, Pancetta, and Caramelized Onions

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, diced
2 cups coarsely chopped yellow onions
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 bone-in, double-cut veal loin chops, 12 to 14 ounces each
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup minced shallots
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 cups veal or beef stock
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 Teaspoons of the following mixed together for the rub on the chops:

Paprika
Salt
Garlic Powder
Black pepper
Onion Powder
Dried Oregano
Dried Thyme
Cayenne Pepper (Optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and set aside.
2. In a sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and, when hot, add the pancetta. Cook, stirring frequently, until crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Add the onions to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and are caramelized around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the garlic and 1 tablespoon of the thyme and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
3. In a mixing bowl combine the pancetta, cooled onion mixture, and mascarpone. Mix gently but thoroughly. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
4. Using a sharp knife, make an incision into a veal chop near the top of the bone. Following the curve of the bone, cut a pocket, about 3 inches long into the side of each veal chop, making sure not to pierce the other side. Stuff each chop with 1/4 of the pancetta-onion-cheese mixture. Repeat with remaining veal chops and stuffing mixture. Season both sides of each chop with the spice mix.
5. Heat a large sauté pan until hot. Add the vegetable oil and, when hot, add the chops and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the chops to the prepared baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes for medium rare. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving with the sauce.
6. While the chops are searing, begin the pan sauce: heat 1/2 tablespoon of the butter in a medium sauté pan until foamy. Add the shallots and cook, stirring until soft, 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of garlic and 1 teaspoon of thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by 2/3 about 5 minutes. Add the stock and parsley and continue to simmer until sauce has reduced to a thickness that coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of butter and whisk or swirl to combine. Adjust seasonings with a pinch of salt. Serve immediately or keep warm but do not allow sauce to boil.

CHEFS NOTES: We didn't buy the thick cut chops so I improvised and just cut them off the bone and pounded them flat because they are so soft and tender. I then laid the stuffing mixture in the middle of the chop and laid the sides over. If sealed nicely on their own. I also used dried thyme because its less of a hassle but make sure you don't use too much, make sure and eyeball it.

In the past I have had a problem with the concept of veal. I know it's hypocritical to say it's wrong to eat veal while powering down a double cheeseburger, but I just couldn't stand eating something that was young. I'm still not thrilled with veal but now will eat it without saying anything. Luckily the price of good veal generally makes it outside of my shopping range and therefore it is rarely served at my house.

That being said, this was a good meal. Jenn really had a good idea when she decided to roll the chops instead of stuffing them. Both of us where having a real hard time trying to make a pocket for the stuffing in such a thin chop. The mascarpone was very interesting also. When it was stuffed into the chop it was the consistency of warm butter. Once cooked it was very creamy and really made the meal for me. Also the sauce was really good as well. We cooked up some leftover parsnips as well and I thought that dipping the parsnips in the sauce was a hit as well. Good meal all around with ingredients that I am not used to getting on a regular basis.