Cooking Methods

Meat that is cooked just right tastes great! Even more so when it's Quebec Milk-Fed Veal! But which cut of meat to choose, and how should it be prepared? Here is a section of the website to help you make the best choice for cuts, for quantities and for cooking time. As well, we've brought together all the little tricks used by chefs so that you, too, can master the art of cooking a nice piece of meat... just right.

Roasting   •   Slow Roasting   •   Braising
Simmering   •   Sautéing   •   Grilling


Some tricks

  • SAUTÉ EXPRESS
  • GOURMET SCALLOPS
  • NOTHING IS LOST!
  • SUCCULENT SAUCES
  • FIVE TIPS FOR PERFECT COOKING


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    Cook a cut of meat uncovered in the oven with no added liquid. Best for the tenderest cuts.
     
    PROCEDURE:

    • Sear the milk-fed veal roast to colour over high heat in a little fat or oil in a skillet.
    • Transfer the meat to a roasting pan and season with salt and pepper.
    • Sauté some chopped celery, onion and carrots in the skillet.
    • Place the vegetables around the meat.
    • Put the roasting pan in the oven preheated to
      325°F or 163°C.
    • Cook until the inside temperature of the meat reaches 150°F or 66°C.
    • Remove only the meat, cover it loosely, and let stand for 15-20 minutes.
    • Put the roasting pan on the stove over high heat and deglaze the pan with a bouillon of veal or chicken, then reduce the sauce over low heat (about 15 minutes).
    • Strain the gravy through a fine sieve and season to taste.
     



    Follow the same procedure as for Roasting, but ensure that the oven temperature does not exceed 250°F or 120°C. Gives very good results with less tender cuts.
     
    PROCEDURE:
    • Sear the milk-fed veal roast to colour over high heat in a little fat or oil in a skillet.
    • Transfer the meat to a roasting pan and season with salt and pepper.
    • Sauté some chopped celery, onion and carrots in the skillet.
    • Place the vegetables around the meat.
    • Put the roasting pan in the oven preheated to 325°F or 163°C.
    • Cook until the inside temperature of the meat reaches 150°F or 66°C.
    • Remove only the meat, cover it loosely, and let stand for 15-20 minutes.
    • Put the roasting pan on the stove over high heat and deglaze the pan with a bouillon of veal or chicken, then reduce the sauce over low heat (about
      15 minutes).
    • Strain the gravy through a fine sieve and season to taste.
     



    Cook a whole piece of meat with just a little liquid in a covered casserole in a slow oven.
     
    PROCEDURE:
    • Sear the milk-fed veal to colour over high heat in a little fat or oil in a casserole.
    • Season with salt and pepper.
    • Place some roughly chopped carrots, onions and celery around the meat.
    • Lightly moisten with a brown sauce of your choice (e.g. brown veal stock).
    • Cover and put in the oven preheated to 300°F or
      145°C. Cook a piece weighing 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) for approximately 1-1/2 hours. For a larger piece, or if circumference is about 4 inches or 10 cm, extend cooking time to 2-1/2 hours.
    • After cooking, remove the meat, cover loosely, and let stand for 30 minutes.
    • In the meantime, pour the sauce through a Chinese strainer (or a fine sieve).
    • Correct the seasoning and consistency of the sauce.
    • Carve the meat into thin slices and coat with sauce.
     



    Also called à l'etuvée. Cook small pieces of meat (cubes, stir fry, etc.) at high heat with very little liquid in a covered skillet either on the stove or in the oven.
     
    PROCEDURE:
    • Sauté small pieces of milk-fed veal in hot fat or oil in a skillet until 3/4 cooked.
    • Add the sauce of your choice, cover and simmer. This is the delicate phase: heat that is too high will toughen the meat and possibly spoil the taste and delicate texture of the milk-fed veal. Continue cooking over low heat for a few minutes with small bubbles barely breaking the surface of the sauce.
    • For less tender cuts, add the sauce, then cover the skillet and put it in the oven for about 1 hour at 300°F or 145°C.
     



    Cook small pieces of the tenderest cuts of meat (e.g., stir fry, cutlets, etc.) in a little fat or oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
     
    PROCEDURE:

    • Sauté the milk-fed veal in hot oil or butter.
    • For thicker pieces, to obtain the most tender and juicy meat, reduce the temperature once the meat is browned, and finish cooking over low heat. You can deglaze the sugar from the meat on the bottom of the pan with wine or your favourite sauce.
    • Transfer the milk-fed veal to a warm plate and coat lightly with the sauce, if desired.
     



    Cook a small piece of meat directly over the heat on a natural gas, charcoal or electric grill.
     
    PROCEDURE:

    • Oil and heat the grill. (It should be very hot before the meat is added.)
    • If desired, marinate the milk-fed veal 1-2 hours, or simply baste it with a flavoured oil.
    • Put the meat on the hot grill at a 45° angle for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the meat 90° to form a checkered pattern. Then turn the meat over and grill for a few minutes until the temperature at the centre reaches 155°F or 68°C.
    • Let the meat stand 4-5 minutes before serving: the milk-fed veal will be even more juicy and tender.
    • Ground veal should be eaten well cooked. The reddish tint of the meat must have completely disappeared on the inside (174°F or 79°C).
     

    * Beware of ground meats! Contrary to other cuts of Quebec Milk-Fed Veal, ground milk-fed veal should be well cooked before eating, meaning when it reaches an internal temperature of 79°C (174°F) and it is no longer pink inside. Therefore, cooking time is longer for ground Quebec Milk-Fed Veal than it is for other cuts. Figure on 8 minutes cooking time on each side for patties of 2.5 cm (1 inch) thickness.


    Some tricks

    Sauté express
    Follow the steps in the ‘Sautéing' section. Remove cooked the Quebec Milk-Fed Veal from the pan and keep warm. Add one 750 g bag of frozen vegetables to the pan and cook for
    6 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add a bottle of commercial sautéing sauce. Put the meat back in with the vegetables and reheat. Serve on rice or on vermicelli.
    Gourmet scallops
    Follow the steps in the ‘Sautéing’ section. Remove the scallops from the pan and keep warm. Add one 225g package of quartered mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes over medium-low heat. Add 160 ml (2/3 cup) of 15 % country-style cream. Cook over medium high-heat, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Coat the scallops with the sauce. Serve with pasta or potatoes and a green salad.

    Nothing is lost!
    Use the bones and the leftovers from roasts to prepare your own home made broth. Put the bones, a carrot, an onion and a celery stalk in a casserole. Cover with water and let simmer over low heat for about 3 hours. Strain the broth and use it to prepare a comforting soup or freeze it to use later.

    Succulent sauces
    Use the juice from oven roasts to give character to your sauces. Pour the cooking juices in a small pan and add wine, if desired . Heat over high heat. Let the liquid reduce by half. Add cream or a package of commercial demi-glaze sauce prepared according to the instructions on the package. Salt and pepper to taste.


    Five tips for perfect cooking

     
      Let roasts stand for 15 minutes, covered with aluminium foil, before slicing them. This allows the natural juices to spread throughout the piece of Quebec Milk-Fed Veal.
     
      To help conserve all the juiciness of Quebec Milk-Fed Veal, handle the meat with tongs.
     
      Do not salt Quebec Milk-Fed Veal until the end of cooking.
     
      To ensure uniform cooking, it is best to thaw Quebec Milk-Fed Veal before cooking.
     
      The meat will be tender and juicy as long as it is not overcooked. Tender cuts of Quebec Milk-Fed Veal are at their best served pink.