The charm of most braised dishes is that they result in succulent, tender meat and require little attention after an initial browning. The sad truth, however, is that most meats need hours—sometimes many hours—before they become truly tender. Not so with veal chunks taken from the shoulder or leg, which become tender in less than an hour and produce a superb stew. And the smaller the chunks of meat, the shorter the cooking time. (This is a very basic and oft-ignored general principle of cooking: spend a little more time with the knife and you sometimes spend a lot less time at the stove.) Smaller chunks have another advantage as well: in just a few minutes, enough of their surface area browns that you can move to the next step of the recipe. This guarantees a full-flavored stew—the browning step is not essential but very desirable—and reduces stovetop mess.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put a 12-inch skillet over high heat and, a minute later, add the oil and butter. Add the meat in one layer (if you use the larger amount of meat, you may have to cook in batches to cook only in one layer; it’s worth the effort). Cook, undisturbed, until the meat is nicely browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes.
Step 2
Add the tarragon, onions, and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and any bits of meat stuck to the bottom of the pan are released, about 5 minutes. Add the liquid (but don’t add too much liquid; the meat and onions generate plenty of their own as the covered meat simmers gently), stir, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the veal is tender.
Step 3
Uncover, add the peas, and raise the heat to medium. Cook for about 5 minutes more, until the peas are done. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary and serve.
Variations
Step 4
Veal Stew, Provençal Style: In step 1, use all olive oil. In step 2, omit the tarragon and onions, adding instead 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed; 20 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped; 2 cups seeded and chopped tomato (canned is fine, lightly drained); and 1 cup good-quality black olives; omit the wine or water. Add the salt and pepper and cook as directed. In step 3, omit the peas; uncover and reduce the liquid if necessary until the stew is thick. Garnish with more chopped basil.
Step 5
Veal Stew with Paprika: In step 1, use all butter (or grapeseed, corn, or other light oil). In step 2, omit the tarragon; add 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed, and 2 teaspoons good-quality paprika. Add salt, pepper, and liquid and cook as directed. In step 3, omit the peas and stir in 1 cup sour cream and more paprika if necessary.
