Veal Chops with Fontina White Truffle Polenta & Sauteed Mushrooms

Lately Bouley Market in Tribeca has been getting better and better. It seems every week they have a new spectacular addition. Their meats and fish case have beautiful pre-cut and cleaned pieces of meat or fish that are amazing. I have been eyeing the Milk-fed Veal Chops for a few weeks now, and I was finally able to get around to buying them and making them. I didn’t want to make anything too fussy as I could only imagine how much the veal chop was going to shine on its own. It was absolutely beautiful and the last thing I wanted to do was to mask it with overwhelming flavors. It would be tasty enough on its own… All it would need is salt and pepper and a wonderful sear. So I thought about what would compliment it, what would fit my mood, and what would work with the season.

A creamy polenta seemed desirable and I decided to dress it up with fontina cheese and some white truffle oil. Mushrooms would work well also. I chose a mix of shiitake and chanterelles sauteed in a hot pan and splashed with some fresh thyme.

It came together beautifully. What a satisfying well-rounded dish and how perfect for a cool autumns night in New York. I loved this one and can’t wait to make it again. Hope you enjoy it too.

Veal Chops with Fontina White Truffle Polenta & Sauteed Mushrooms

Recipe by: Natalie Emerson

Serves: 2

Veal:

2 Veal Chops with Bone

2 Tbls Canola Oil

2 Tbls Butter

Salt, as needed

Pepper, as needed

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Polenta:

1 cup Water

1 1/4 cup Whole Milk

1/2 cup Fine Ground Polenta

2 tbls Butter

1/2 tsp White Truffle Oil

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

60 grams grated Fontina Cheese

30 grams grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt, as needed

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Sauteed Mushrooms:

50 grams Shiitake Mushrooms

40 grams Chanterelle Mushrooms

1 Tbls Canola Oil

1/2 tsp finely chopped Fresh Thyme

Salt, as needed

Black Pepper, as needed

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Mushrooms: Brush mushrooms off of any excess grit. If absolutely necessary, use damp cloth to clean very dirty mushrooms. Slice mushrooms lengthwise to create 1/2 think strips of mushrooms. Chop Fresh Thyme and put aside. Meanwhile put saute pan on the stove and turn heat on high. Let pan sit until it really warms up, then add 1 Tbls Canola Oil. Swirl oil in pan and once you see waves forming in the oil, add mushrooms. Listen for the sound of an instant simmer once they hit the pan, then turn down the heat a bit. Mix around the mushrooms so that all are lightly coated with oil, then let them cook a few minutes, mixing every few seconds. Right as they are done, toss in the thyme, salt and black pepper as needed. Take out of pan and let rest on parchment paper until needed.

Polenta: Put water and milk in pot on stove and bring to a boil. In a steady stream, pour in the polenta while constantly mixing with a wooden spoon. Keep mixing and add the butter and truffle oil. Lower the heat some and keep mixing until cooked. At this point add the grated cheeses and cayenne pepper. Taste to see how salty it is with the cheese added and as more salt as needed.

Veal: Preheat convection oven to 450ºF. Take the veal out the the fridge ten minutes before you cook it to bring it closer to room temperature. Get a large saute pan and put on the stove at high heat. When pan is hot, add the canola oil. Swirl in pan. Then sprinkle both sides of veal chops with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Carefully place in hot pan presentation side down (the presentation side is when you plate it you want the chop to essentially look like the letter “b” on your plate with the top of the “b” facing 2:00 on a clock… you will want to put that side down first in the pan). Let cook unmoved or disrupted for a couple of minutes until a full golden caramelized brown. Flip both chops and do the same for the other side. Then take the pan with the chops in it and stick it in the preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes until the internal temperature of the meat is 130°F. But just before you put it in the oven, carefully pour off most of the oil in the pan into a cup or bowl and put aside to later dispose of.

When you take the meat out of the oven, USE CAUTION that the handle of the pan is extremely hot, as hot as the oven temperature. Use a mit to take it out and DO NOT forget that it is hot and grab it later on with your bare hands. Put the pan back on the stove, add the butter to it and baste the meat. Then take the meat out and let rest on a wire rack for 8 minutes. Again, the pan is extremely hot, do not touch it.

Add the cooked mushrooms into the hot pan and warm up the mushrooms in the brown butter and bits in the pan.

To Plate: Add about four large spoonfuls of polenta in a large plate or bowl. Put chops in the polenta and spoon mushrooms on top. Enjoy!