Pojarsky De Veau
- 4 large pats unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (8 g) dried porcini mushrooms, hydrated in warm water to cover, drained, and chopped
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 pound (455 g) ground veal
- Leaves from 1 sprig thyme
- 1/4 cup (15 g) day-old white bread crumbs in 1/4-inch pieces soaked in 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk for 15 minutes
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ball (size of a fist) caul fat, thawed in the refrigerator if frozen and soaked in cold water until it can be gently stretched flat
- 2 veal chop bones or lamb chop bones obtained from a butcher (optional, but without the bones, you have lonely meatballs)
- Fennel for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 450F (230C).
- In a frying pan, melt 2 pats of butter over medium heat.
- Add the mushrooms, shallot, and garlic and sweat for 4 or 5 minutes, or until soft.
- Let cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the veal, porcini mixture, thyme, soaked bread, egg, and salt.
- Mix together with your hands.
- Its wise to have a little hot pan on a burner, so you can cook and test a spoonful for flavor, then adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Divide the mixture in half, and shape each half into a ball.
- Flatten the balls a bit and then shape each one to look like a large chop.
- With a sharp knife, cut the caul fat in half, and wrap half around each chop.
- Finally, poke a hole at one end of each chop, and stick a bone into each hole.
- Drop the remaining 2 pats of butter onto the bottom of a large cocotte or other heavy ovenproof pot.
- Carefully lay the chops side by side in the pot.
- Place in the oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, basting with the butter every 4 or 5 minutes, until sizzling and fragrant, and the caul fat has melted down.
- In the meantime, bring a small pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add the fennel and blanch for 2 minutes.
- When the veal is ready, toss the fennel in the cooking fat.
- Bring the cocotte to the table and serve at once.
pats unsalted butter, porcini mushrooms, shallot, clove garlic, thyme, bread crumbs, egg, salt, caul fat, veal chop, fennel
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pojarsky-de-veau-388834 (may not work)