Pan Roasted Veal Chops
I recently read an article about Pan Roasting and how professional cooks use this technique all the time in restaurants.
Just a handful of years ago, I couldn’t find any reference to pan roasting in any of my cook books, but these days it is a very popular technique. It’s popular for good reason, too. Pan roasting is a two-part cooking technique.
First, you sear the meat on all sides on the stove top, and then you finish cooking it by roasting in the oven. Because of the intense heat on the stove, the meat is done much more quickly than if you had started it in the oven.
Aside from saving some time, it is also much easier to develop a deeply caramelized crust on whatever you’re roasting, again thanks to the heat of the stove top.
If you’ve never experimented with pan roasting, I encourage you to give it a try. Use it for thick chops, as in this recipe, or for any larger cut of meat.
A chef friend of mine was kind enough to share this recipe with me, both to illustrate the technique of pan roasting and because it tastes so good.
Check out Pan Roast page for some additional tips.
Equipment
Heavy-bottomed, oven-proof sauté pan (or cast iron skillet)
- Pan Roasted Veal Chops
- Serves 2
- Cooking Techniques - Sear & Oven Roast
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot
3 medium leeks, whites and a little
of the green
1/2 cup of veal stock or beef stock
2 thick veal chops
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
PREP WORK
- Remove chops from the refrigerator about an hour before cooking to let them come up to room temperature. Pat them dry.
- Slice and thoroughly wash the leeks. They grow in very sandy soil, and sand and dirt can get trapped in all the layers of leaves, so make sure to rinse them several times.
- Roughly chop the leeks.
- Mince shallot and thyme.
- Pre-heat the oven to 450°F.
HOW TO MAKE AT HOME
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and sweat the shallot and leeks over low heat covered for approx. 10-12 minutes. They should be very soft and translucent but not take on any color.
Turn the heat up to medium, and add the veal/beef stock. Simmer uncovered for 3-4 minutes, then re-cover and set aside. The leek/shallot mixture should be moist but not swimming in stock at this point.
Meanwhile, heat your oven proof pan over medium-high heat for three or four minutes.
Add the canola oil and heat until the oil shimmers.
Season the veal chops with salt and pepper and cook over med-high heat for approx. 3 minutes until browned.
Flip the chops over and cook for another minute, then slide the oven proof pan into the hot oven for 6-9 minutes, depending on how you like your meat done. (See my meat doneness chart)
While the chops are roasting in the oven, add the thyme to the shallot and leeks, season to taste with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat to warm up.
To serve, spoon half the onion/leek mixture onto each plate, then set the veal chops on top of the mixture and serve.
I served this to my wife with side dishes of roasted acorn squash and mashed potatoes. It was fantastic.
A nice Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot will go great with this meal. Enjoy!
*Save the green tops for the next time you make stock.
