RCP: Veal Bolognese

We thought this dish was excellent.

Mario Santilli's Veal Bolognese Over Pasta (Mario's Risto Bar, Rhode Island)

1/4 cup extra virgin oil

4-6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 pounds boneless veal stew, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup Ruffino Chianti or comparable Italian Red Wine (I used
"Toscolo Chianti 2006)

1 (26-ounce) can whole San Marzano peeled tomatoes, fork crushed with the juices

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup fresh basil chiffonade (ribbon cut), plus more for garnish

1 pound pasta (see note)

1/4 cup freshly grated Romano Cheese

Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until it begins to turn slightly brown.

Dry veal cubes on paper towels, then dredge in flour until evenly coated. Add veal with salt and pepper to the pan and sauté until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Stir in wine and cook for an additional 5 minutes, then add tomatoes and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer veal and liquid to a roasting pan or deep casserole, add basil, cover with foil or lid and bake at 350 Degrees F. for about 1 - 2 hours until the meat just about melts in your mouth. Remove from the oven and crush veal with a fork so it becomes shredded.

Cook pasta al dente in an 8-10 quart pot of boiling water seasoned with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Drain, and return to cooking pot. Toss with some of the sauce. Add Romano Cheese. Transfer to a pasta bowl, top with more sauce, and garnish with additional fresh basil and serve.

Serves 4- 6

Notes:
For the pasta, select penne rigate as it retains the sauce well.
I used the Ruffino Chianti
I could not find veal stew, so I used lean beef stew and since I had a bit more that two pounds, I added one cup of
my roasted tomato sauce to the above ingredients

...I could not find veal stew, so I used lean beef stew...

I remember watching a TV news show (60 Minutes?) several years ago. Investigative reporters tested the veal in several NYC restaurants and discovered that something like 30% of it was pork. It wasn't the restaurants' fault as that's what came from meat wholesalers. However, the point was that many chefs and customers could not tell the difference. Using cubed pork chops might work well here.
EDIT: I copied and pasted your recipe so I could save it, but when I went to save it, I had to change the name, as I already had another recipe saved. This one was posted by Jenise a few years ago: http://www.wineloverspage.com/user_submitted/recipes/rc_418787.html. It seems a bit different.

It wasn't the restaurants' fault as that's what came from meat wholesalers.

Wow. I'm having a huge problem with this post. I find it difficult to imagine that a trained cook, let alone a chef, would mistake one for the other. Also, meat comes in boxes with a "bug" stamp identifying the packing plant - pork processors don't typically pack veal, and veal producers don't mess with pork. Why the hell would a packer risk it? And while it is not beyond the realm of possibility for a dishonest distributor to "repack" the goods and falsely label them, a schlock operator like that wouldn't last long. It would be far easier, more profitable, and more easily explainable, to cheat on the weights of the boxes. (a practice that is not uncommon, and why I advise each and every one of my customers to invest in a receiving scale.)

I'm not saying it didn't happen, but if it did, I'd bet that it was the doings of the restaurant, and not the wholesaler.There's more financial incentive for them to cheat, and less likelihood of them getting caught.

I'm not saying it didn't happen, but if it did, I'd bet that it was the doings of the restaurant, and not the wholesaler.There's more financial incentive for them to cheat, and less likelihood of them getting caught.

What you say makes sense. Googling, I found several instances of restaurants being caught substituting (http://www.houstonpress.com/2004-01-22/news/the-cow-says-oink/), but could not find anything to back up my original statement. However, I do recall watching the TV show and they opened and tested cases of meat as delivered to the restaurants and a percentage of the veal was actually pork.

[Jenise]

I find it difficult to imagine that a trained cook, let alone a chef, would mistake one for the other.

It wouldn't get past me! I agree with everything you said, John.

[Jenise]

It seems a bit different.

Veal Bolognese is one of those dishes that many cooks have their own version of. My version, the recipe you already had in your file, was my own creation, the result of several years of attempting to duplicate a Bolognese I had in Lake Como and which I thought to be the best I'd ever had. Karen's recipe is recognizably a close cousin--my only concern with her recipe is the relatively short cooking time. There's a complexity that results from long cooking of wine and tomatoes and though you have something quite tasty in 1-2 hours, as my recipe cautions there's magic in that third hour.

Jenise,

Have you ever gone longer than three hours and if so what were the results?

Thanks

[Jenise]

Jenise,

Have you ever gone longer than three hours and if so what were the results?

Thanks

Yes, and it's my experience that longer than three hours and the meat will start to dissolve. Three hours is about perfect.

Jenise,

Is there enough liquid in Karen's recipe for a third hour @ 350 deg? I was wondering about that at 2 hrs at that temp. Or maybe those canned tomatoes are juicer than domestic varieties??

Richard

[Jenise]

Jenise,

Is there enough liquid in Karen's recipe for a third hour @ 350 deg? I was wondering about that at 2 hrs at that temp. Or maybe those canned tomatoes are juicer than domestic varieties??

Richard

I would thing so--see my Tuscan chicken recipe. No liquid goes in there at ALL, and the result is quite juicy. But do understand I wasn't taking shots at Karen's recipe, it looks great and Karen's a wonderful cook who I trust. I'd have never brought up my own recipe. But since Howie did, I have to admit I'd ignore the instructions and cook longer, possibly at a reduced temperature and adding more wine if I were concerned about moisture.

I agree about the longer cooking time. As I stated in my post, I had to add one container of my home made roasted tomato sauce because I had a bit more than two pounds and the liquid seemed insufficient to me. The beef did shred but I did make a note that the next time (if I cannot find veal) I would cook the meat longer for a more buttery texture. My sauce soaked into the meat quite well and I did not want to add more sauce/wine and increase the cooking time as I was past our dinner hour as it was. So, yes.....those of you who felt a longer cooking time was in order were correct. The flavors were wonderful.

Karen wrote:

I could not find veal stew, so I used lean beef stew and since I had a bit more that two pounds, I added one cup of
my roasted tomato sauce to the above ingredients

I totally missed that additional liquid in the original post in my hurry to transfer the recipe to my "To Do" file.

Richard

I have added this to my "must make soon" file.