Introducing Local Alberta Veal
If we were to describe a tender, pink meat with an especially subtle flavor, not many people would imagine beef—but that’s exactly what we’re talking about today. Veal, the meat of young cattle, is a unique form of beef: soft, pale, mild, and slightly sweet. D’Arcy’s Meats has partnered with Lakeside Dairy, a local Alberta farm, to bring this excellent meat to Edmonton meat markets.
We know that some people have been hesitant to try veal. Back in the 80s, a public controversy about the way veal calves were raised led some people to give the meat up. However, a lot has changed in the three decades since then. It’s high time to give veal another look.
Our partner, Lakeside Dairy, is a family operation, not a “factory farm.” It raises its veal calves with the same care and feed it gives its milking herd. Its milk-and-grain-fed calves live in spacious and well-bedded pens. Their diets of milk are supplemented with a free choice of various grains. The Nonay family takes pride in raising, and we take pride in offering, Lakeside’s delicious, humane, local veal.
Veal manages to have very little fat for a “red” meat—even less fat than pork, in fact—while still being incredibly tender. To preserve that texture you need to cook it properly. Brush a cut of veal with oil or marinate it before you cook it to make sure it stays moist (Don’t pierce it!), and cook it at high heat to about medium rare.
Veal cutlets are often breaded and fried, as in Italian Veal Parmigiana or Austrian Wiener Schnitzel. Veal is also delicious as a grilled chop, lightly seasoned and flavored. Because veal has an excellent but mild flavor to begin with, mild flavors go with it best. Jeff Nonay of Lakeside Dairy shared a recipe for a veal chop that he tried recently and called “my new favorite!” He recommends a marinade of white wine vinegar, olive oil, fresh crushed garlic, finely chopped fresh oregano and basil, and a bit of seasoning salt.
Let the meat experts at D’Arcy’s introduce you to this subtle and exquisite meat—local Alberta veal!