With Bill Dixon
Watch the Veal Chop Pizzaiola Cooking show!
Click on my picture that says "Video".
Veal Chop Pizzaiola
Ingredients
2 to 4 Veal Rib Chops cut to 1" Thickness
For the marinade:
4-6 Cloves Garlic peeled
Several Sprigs each Fresh Rosemary, Parsley, Oregano, & Thyme
For the Saute' Pan:
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter
4 Whole Cloves Garlic Peeled
For the Sauce:
1 to 2 Sprigs each Fresh Rosemary, Parsley, Oergano & Thyme
1 Each Mini Red, Orange, & Yellow Sweet Bell Peppers cut into 1/4 inch wide strips
1/2 to 1 Red Onion thinly sliced
2 to 4 Spring Onions
8 to 16 Mini Tomatoes on the vine halved
1 to 1 1/2 Cups Crushed Tomatoes
3/4 to 1 1/2 cup quartered Artichokes
1 to 2 Cups Fresh Mushroom Blend
(Shitake, Oyster, Crimini, Portabella)
1/4 to 1/2 Cup Pitted Kalamata Olives
4 to 8 Cloves Thinly Sliced Garlic
Or
2 to 4 Tablespoons Roasted Garlic
1 to 2 Stingy Teaspoons Sugar
Juice of 1/2 fresh squeezed Lemon
6 to 12 Fresh Basil Leaves Pinched Apart
1 to 2 Teaspoon Chicken Base
2 to 4 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
1/4 to 1/2 Cup Red or White Wine
Margharita or Sea Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
1 to 2 Cups Baby Spinach
Parmagiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano
or Asiago Cheese
Pasta:
1/4 to 1/2 Pound Fettuccine, Linguine, or Spaghetti
Directions
Note: In the Video I state "French Cut" Veal Chops. However, what I use, and you really want is a regular, untrimmed "Veal Rib Chop".
The extra fat on the bone greatly enhances the flavor and the cooking of this magnificent dish.
Place the Veal Chops in a zip-lock bag or sealed plastic container along with the 4 to 6 cloves whole garlic and several sprigs each of the fresh Rosemary, Parsley, Oregano & Thyme. Allow the chops and fresh herbs to marinate for several hours in the refrigerator.
About an hour before you are ready to prepare your dish, remove the chops from the refrigertor, and place them on a plate along with the same herbs & garlic. Cover with plastic film, and allow the chops to acclimate to room temperature.
Prepare the vegetables for the Saute' & Sauce:
Slice the red, yellow, and orange mini sweet bell peppers into 1/4" wide strips. If you are making this dish for four, you will probably want to use regular size peppers. Thinly slice the red onion, halve the mini-tomatoes, and dice the spring onions. The making of the sauce moves along much better if you go ahead and prep and measure out the rest of the sauce ingredients so that you can quiclky add them to the mixture, and not over cook the sauce. this also allows the Chops not to cool too long once they have been set aside as described below.
When you are ready to begin, place a cast iron skillet, or preferably a cast iron grill pan over high heat and allow it to heat to a very high temperture. You will be using this to sear the veal chops, however this is done after you "flavor cook" them first as follows:
In a saute' pan, (10 1/2" for 2 chops, 14 1/2" for 4), add 4 to 8 respectively, tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 to 1 whole, respectively, stick unsalted butter. Over low heat, melt & dissolve the butter into the olive oil and add 4 whole cloves garlic. Next use from the herbs and garlic cloves that were used to marinate the veal chops, add in 1 or 2 sprigs each of the Rosemary, Parsley, Oregano, & Thyme. Continuing cooking over low heat, to allow the herbs & garlic to release their flavors into the melted butter and oil for about two minutes.
Turn up the heat to a medium high, when the butter-olive oil starts to bubble.
Rub a little sea salt and fresh cracked pepper onto the veal chops and place them into the saute' pan to "flavor cook" for two and one half minutes. Turn the chops over and cook them for and additional two and one half minutes on the other side. Spoon the herb/garlic induced butter-olive oil over the chops as they are cooking.
Now straight from the saute' pan, place one or two of the "flavor cooked" chops into the high heated cast iron cookware and sear for two minutes on each side. After the chops have been seared on both sides, remove them to a platter an place aside uncovered. Repeat if cooking 4 chops. I really like the grill lines that are acheived from the use of a raised cast grill pan.
The saute' pan, along with all the veal-olive oil-butter, garlic and herb flavor goodness, should be reserved because you will be using this to make your Pizzaiola Sauce.
Now that you have preped your ingredients for the sauce, remove the cooked sprigs of Rosemary, Parsley, Oregano and Thyme, from the reserved saute' pan with melted butter and olive oil. Over a medium heat add the thinly sliced fresh garlic (if you are using that), the sliced red onion, and the multi colored pepper strips. Stir a little then add in the diced spring onions, mushroms, and a fresh sprig each of the Rosemary &Thyme. Strip of Oregano, leaves and add along with about a tablespoon pinched off parsley leaves. Next add the quartered Artichokes and Kalamata olives. At this time, if you are using roasted garlic, add that in place of the thinly sliced fresh garlic mentioned earlier. (See my recipe "Roasted Garlic & White Marlin".)
Now add the crushed tomatoes, a pinch of margarita, or sea salt,
a few grinds of fresh cracked pepper, and a drizzle more of olive oil.
Add in the chicken base, then squeeze in the juice of the half lemon, (no seeds), and add a stingy teaspoon of sugar. Stir all that together well and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Next add in a few pinched up fresh basil leaves and then the wine. Simmer another minute. and turn the heat off.
Now in a large enough pot boil the water for the pasta. When the water starts to boil add a little salt and a little drizzle of olive oil.
Vigirously boil the pasta to just before done. The pasta will continue to cook after it is drained just from it's on heat and you want it to be Al dente.
While the pasta is boiling, turn the heat back on the Pizzaiola sauce and toss in the baby spinach. Scoot the vegetable/sauce mixture to one side of the pan and add back the veal chops to the other side. Now add the heavy whipping cream to the sauce vegetable side and blend in well. Simmer the sauce along with the veal chops for about 2 minutes and turn off the heat. Do not turn the chop! You want a nice grilled look presentation.
By now your pasta should be done cooking. Pour the pasta and water into a collander and shake to drain. Do Not Rinse the pasta! You want the starch to remain on the pasta to help bond your Pizzaiola sauce to the pasta.
Now plate your veal chops, then the pasta, and spoon on the Pizzaiola sauce. Add freshly grated cheese as selected and garnish with a fresh basil sprig. Serve with my Pungo Prairie Artisan Bread!
Bellisimo!