Veal Loin Chop with Mushroom Sauce

Veal is much milder and leaner than beef, with more delicate flavor and texture. Since the meat is very delicate, you don't need to use too much herbs or seasoning - just salt and pepper are enough. To enjoy veal, you can simply sear it to medium and serve with a flavorful sauce.

With sauce Espagnole from yesterday, I made a delicious mushroom sauce, which is mild but tasteful enough to enhance the flavor of veal.

Hope you enjoy the following recipe.

(* Veal is sometimes considered as unethical meat, since in many cases, the calves are separated from their moms in very early stage, and raised in unethical condition. However, you can find more ethically raised (meaning raised with care in more humane fashion) calves nowadays. I found Whole Foods Market carries veal raised in a healthy, humane and sustainable way.)

Veal Loin Chop with Mushroom Sauce
(Yield: 2 servings / Cooking time: 30 minutes)

Ingredients:
+ 2 veal loin chops (~1" thick)
+ salt and pepper
+ 1 Tbsp flour
+ neutral vegetable oil (such as canola oil or grape seed oil)
+ 1 Tbsp butter

Mushroom Sauce
+ 1 cup sauce Espagnole (Click here for the recipe)
+ 1 tsp butter
+ 10g shallot, diced finely (brunoise)
+ 3-5g dried mushrooms* (soak in water for a few hours)
+ 2 Tbsp white wine
+ one sprig of fresh thyme (pick leaves only)
+ salt and pepper

*I used dried porcini mushrooms and dried black trumpet mushrooms. If you use fresh mushrooms, please use about 15-20g amount.




Procedures:
1. Drain the mushrooms, and squeeze any excess water. Chop the mushroom coarsely. Resrve the soaking water.


2. With a teaspoon of butter, sauté finely diced shallot and chopped mushroom together over medium heat.


3. Pour white wine and reduce the wine to almost dry.


4. Pour sauce Espagnole, and add picked fresh thyme leaves. Simmer the sauce until the sauce is reduced to half. Taste the sauce and if it needs more mushroom flavor, add the soaking water reserved from step #1. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.


5. While the sauce is simmering, sear the veal loin chops. First, pat dry the chops with paper towels to remove any blood or water on the surface. Season generously with salt and pepper, and dust the chops with flour. Heat a skillet over high heat and drizzle oil and add 1 Tbsp butter. Place the chops on the pan. Sear each side for 5-6 minutes, until the outside is golden brown.

* Please make sure the veal loin chops are at room temperature for at least for 15 minutes before cooking. If the inside of the meat is too cold, the meat will not cook evenly.

6. When the veal loin chops are cooked, take out from the pan and rest for 6-8 minutes. During the resting time, tightened muscle is relaxed, and the juice is redistributed to all over the meat, resulting in more tender meat. Serve the seared veal loin chop with simple green salad and spoon the mushroom sauce on top of the chop.


Enjoy~