Veal Chops Beau Séjour
- Total Time
- About 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 6veal chops, preferably cut from the rack, each 1½ inches thick and frenched (ask the butcher to do this)
- Flour
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 4tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6cloves garlic (peeled, if you like)
- 2medium bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ cup chicken stock
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Preparation
- Step 1
Lightly dredge the chops on all sides in flour. In a lidded skillet large enough to hold all 6 chops, heat the oil and 3 tablespoons of the butter. Brown the chops on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes total.
- Step 2
Scatter the garlic cloves around the chops. Cut each bay leaf into 3 pieces. Place 1 piece on each chop. Add thyme, salt and pepper. Cook the chops, tightly covered, over moderate to low heat for about 20 minutes, or until they are cooked through and the natural sauce in the skillet is syrupy. Transfer the chops to a hot serving dish and keep warm. Leave the garlic and bay leaves in the skillet.
- Step 3
Add the vinegar to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until it has evaporated. Add the stock and ¼ cup water and reduce to your liking. Check the seasoning. Turn off the heat and swirl in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Pour the sauce over the chops and garnish each chop with 1 clove of garlic and 1 piece of bay leaf. Serve immediately.
- It’s crucial to brown the veal well on every surface, even the edges, because it pays off in the end with a rich, dense sauce. The vinegar is a key flavor detail, and the garlic a lovely garnish. Don’t use a cast-iron skillet, or the addition of the vinegar will make your sauce muddy.
Private Notes
Comments
Fresh sage leaves are even better than bay leaves. Add a few quick-fried, crisp sage leaves to the garlic for garnish, along with a little orange (or lemon) zest. Sherry vinegar has a more mellow flavor than red wine vinegar. My preference.
I made this recipe with thick slices of boneless pork loin and it was fantastic! Literally fork tender and an elegant, easy company dish. Thanks!
YUMM! I didn't have veal, but a portion of boneless pork loin in the freezer begging to be used. I cut thick chops and basically followed the recipe except I used fresh sage leaves, crisped them in the butter-oil mix, then subbed them for bay leaves. This is going into the rotation. Simple and delicious.
The only meat counter near us that offers veal chops now charges an arm and a leg for them. Six chops would probably set me back $180. Last time I checked that meat ran about $45/lb. That was at the fancy market; the Safeway used to carry veal and no longer does. Where do people get veal that doesn't require a second mortgage?
This was very good. I made a single 1.2 lb chop for two of us. It was thinner than called for, so I reduced the cooking time fairly as needed. My chop was about 1 inch. The original saute took 8-10 to brown it well. It was the 2nd step where I had to reduce the time. I cooked by temp and removed the chop at 150f and kept in a warm oven for a few minutes while I reduced the sauce. Probably closer to 5 minutes than 20.
How did I make it all these years without knowing this dish existed? Stunningly good. I stuck closely to the recipe, though added a couple of glugs of Marsala to the stock. I grow my own herbs in the kitchen, so the thyme was fresh, and I added a couple sprigs of rosemary to the pan. Served it with basmati rice and butter-braised cabbage with some fennel seeds. Glorious!
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