Vitello Contadina Recipes

VITELLO TONNATO

Steps:

• Place the veal in a casserole large enough to accommodate it. Add the wine and enough water to cover the veal by 1/2 an inch. Remove veal and set aside. Add vegetables and bouquet garni to the water and bring the liquid to a boil. Return the meat to the simmering water, cover and cook gently for about 1 1/2 hours or until the veal is cooked through.
• Remove the veal from the heat and let it cool in its own liquid, remove it from the liquid and the veal is ready. (Boil the remaining liquid down by half and use as you would broth.) Remove strings and thinly slice.
• In a food processor puree until creamy the tuna fish, anchovies, capers, vegetable and olive oils. Add lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice (add more if you wish). Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and fold in the mayonnaise and season very well with salt and pepper.
• Spread bottom of a shallow nonmetal dish with a layer of tuna sauce. Arrange some veal slices, in a single layer, end to end, over the tuna sauce. Cover first layer of veal again with tuna sauce. Build up a second layer of veal and cover with sauce again. End with a generous layer of sauce, (making sure veal is entirely covered so that it does not dry out). Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Serve chilled with steamed haricot verts (French green beans) or asparagus along with wedges of ripe tomato, halved pitted black olives, snipped chives and chopped parsley.

VITELLO TONNATO

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or casserole, combine the veal, chicken stock, wine, onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Add water as needed to cover the meat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover tightly. Simmer, turning once, until the meat is tender and an instant-read thermometer registers 145 to 150 degrees F, about 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Transfer the veal to a platter and let cool. Strain and reserve the cooking broth. Wrap the veal tightly and refrigerate until well chilled (up to 24 hours).
• To make the sauce, combine the tuna, anchovies, capers, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a blender or food processor and blend to a very smooth texture, about 2 minutes. Add the mayonnaise and process to blend thoroughly. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved cooking broth. Add more, if desired, to taste or for a thinner consistency. Refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for at least 2 and up to 24 hours. (The sauce tastes best if made 1 day in advance and allowed to rest overnight).
• To serve, thinly slice the meat and arrange on a platter. Drizzle the sauce over each slice, season generously with the kosher salt and black pepper. Garnish by sprinkling with additional capers and chopped parsley. Arrange the lemon slices around the platter and serve.
• In a blender or food processor, combine the egg and lemon juice and process for 10 seconds. With the machine running, slowly pour in the oil through the feed tube and process until emulsified. Add the salt and black pepper and pulse to blend. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using. (The mayonnaise can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up 24 hours).

CLASSIC CONTADINA® SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine sausage, onion and garlic in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat 4 to 5 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink inside, stirring to break up sausage.
• Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms, oregano, basil, salt, sugar.
• Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook, uncovered, 30 minutes. Serve over hot cooked pasta.

VITELLO CONTADINA

Steps:

• 1. Make a deep incision down the center of the veal, being careful not to cut all the way through gently open it out flat as you would a book. Trim off and reserve any irregular pieces of meat along the edges, leaving a neat, compact shape.2. Place rosemary along the center of the meat. Top the meat with half of the pancetta, overlapping the slices. Sprinkle with parsley and top with remaining pancetta, bay leaves, nutmeg and pepper.3. Drain the porcini mushrooms, reserving and straining the liquid. Rinse the porcini in cool water, drain again, chop coarsely and place on the top of the meat.4. Top with any reserved meat trimmings. Close up meat compactly and tie with kitchen twine, going once around lengthwise and several times around crosswise. Pat dry.5. Melt the butter in a deep casserole over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 6 minutes, then discard the garlic. Add the stuffed roast, season with salt, and cook until lightly golden on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes.6. Add wine and vermouth, basting the meat. Cover the casserole, lower heat to medium low and cook, turning and basting occasionally, for 15 minutes. Stir in the almonds and 1/2 cup of reserved mushroom-soaking liquid. Cook, turning and basting occasionally, until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes longer. Transfer the meat to carving board and let it stand for 10 minutes or longer.7. Boil the sauce until lightly reduced. Cut the roast into 1/2-inch slices if necessary, reheat the slices in the casserole. Spoon sauce over and serve.

CONTADINA CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Toss chicken with flour in plastic bag or bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; cook chicken 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove from skillet.
• Add remaining oil to skillet; saute mushrooms, onion and garlic 3 to 4 minutes.
• Stir in broth, tomato paste, undrained stewed tomatoes, Italian herb seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Add chicken; simmer 4 to 5 minutes.