Veal Chops with Rosemary, Lemon & Honey Sauce

[kirra]

Veal Chops with Rosemary, Lemon & Honey Sauce
Nick Stellino

Ingredients:

4 veal chops (totaling approximately 3 pounds), cut approximately ¾ inch to 1 inch thick
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Marinade:

Zest of 1 lemon, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sherry

Rosemary, Lemon & Honey Sauce:

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 small peeled shallots, finely chopped, or 1 medium white onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, loosely packed
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sherry
4 cups veal or chicken stock

Preparation:

Marinading the Veal Chops:
Whisk all of the ingredients together and pour into a resealable plastic bag containing the meat. Marinate at least 5 hours or overnight. Make the rosemary, lemon and honey sauce. (See accompanying recipe.) The sauce can be made the day before and stored in the refrigerator.

Take the meat out of the marinade; discard the marinade. Salt and pepper the meat.

Veal Chops:
option one: Brush with the extra light olive oil and grill on the barbecue on medium-high heat, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. After grilling, place the meat on a tray and cover with foil; let it rest.

option two: In a pan large enough to hold all the pieces of meat, preheat the extra light olive oil over high heat until it starts to sizzle. Add the meat, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, basting the chops with the olive oil and juices from the bottom of the pan. Place the meat on a tray and cover with foil; let it rest.

Both Options:
In a clean sauté pan large enough to hold all the pieces of meat, bring the rosemary, lemon and honey sauce to a boil over high heat. Add the veal chops and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat.

Place the meat on individual plates. Increase the heat to high and cook the sauce for 1 to 2 more minutes until it thickens. Turn off the heat, add the butter, and stir well until completely melted.

Rosemary, Lemon & Honey Sauce:
In a saucepan, cook the olive oil over high heat for 1 minute.

Add the shallots and rosemary leaves, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 4 minutes until the shallots have softened.

Add the garlic and stir well; cook for 1 more minute.

Add the honey, stir well, and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the lemon juice, stir well, and cook for 2 more minutes, until the mixture has reduced by half.

Increase the heat to high and add the sherry. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring well.

Add the stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and let the sauce simmer for 40 minutes.

Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 8 to 10 more minutes, until it thickens.

Strain the sauce and discard the solids.

Store the sauce in the refrigerator until ready to use it. It will keep for 2 days.

Plating:
Pour some of the rosemary, lemon and honey sauce over the meat and bring the rest to the table in a sauce boat. Broiled asparagus and roasted butternut squash with Parmesan make great accompaniments for this dish. Serves 4