It is delicate, figure-friendly, jam-packed with Omega-3, but veal is often shunned as being a cruel meat to eat.Top celebrity chefs Tom Parker-Bowles, Rosemary Shrager and Brian Turner are backing it and there are plenty of reasons for you to do so too. British rose veal has won the ethical stamp of approval from the RSPCA due to the high welfare standards under which it is produced.
Rose veal calves are able to move and graze freely in their fields, tucking into a natural diet, which gives a more reddish tone, giving the meat its name. And as the tendency to buy British increases, our veal is making a small but marked comeback. Veal is the meat of young male dairy calves and a natural by-product of the ever-popular British dairy industry, but unable to produce milk and unsuitable for beef production, the newly borns are either killed or exported to Europe. So by consuming the high quality British rose veal, young calves enjoy six to eight months of good welfare standards, RSPCA-approved.
Classic veal dishes typically originate from Europe. Italy showcases the beautifully tender and utterly comforting Osso Bucco, veal shin slow cooked in garlic, herbs and lemon zest. And Austria's Wiener Schnitzel, a thin escalope with a fried breadcrumb coating, is a firm favourite with many. It has a melt-in-the-mouth texture and different cuts – escalopes, rib chops, T-bone, mince and shoulder – to suit a range of dishes. Veal is ideally suited to piquant flavours and rich, creamy sauces. It is perfect in a slowly-simmered stew or a speedy supper solution as a fried escalope. To be sure of high welfare standards, buy your meat from a reputable butcher who can tell you exactly which farm it came from and just how it was reared. Keep your eyes peeled for British rose veal and try it in one of these recipes:
Veal Piccata with Lemon and Capers
Visit www.johnpenny.co.uk/the-meat-crusade to find out more