Theory of Food II Blog Assignment #1: Purchasing Meat and Game

 In today's first blog post for CMDI Theory of Food II, we will inspect and discuss veal shanks.

Whole veal shank (Mrakovic Meat & Deli, n.d.)

Background

According to the Canadian Beef Grading Agency (n.d.), veal is defined as meat originating from "youthful bovine carcasses, weighing less than 190 kilograms", "youthful" meaning under one year of age (Peter's Farm, n.d.).

Veal meat is more tender than beef due to possessing connective tissues that are not fully developped yet. In addition, it also has a more subtle flavour and is lighter in colour, ranging from white to pink as opposed to beef's redness (Jurassic Coast Farm Shop, n.d.).

There are four shanks per animal, two at the front (lying below the shoulder) and two at the back (lying below the round).

Location of the foreshanks in the veal carcass (CFIA, 2020)

Location of the hind shanks in the veal carcass (CFIA, 2020)

 
As we saw in class, meat is muscle from dead animals. Those muscles are made up of individual fibers grouped in clusters of fibers covered by a collagen sheath and sometimes elastin, those clusters being referred to as connective tissues (Alfaro, 2019).

Toughness in meat is determined by how much exercise connective tissues get (Gisslen, 2018). As muscles present in the shank are constantly sollicited through the act of locomotion, it is understandable this would be one of the toughest cuts in veal. In opposition, less exercised cuts, such as ribs, are much more tender due to not being as required in the veal's physiology.

Buying and Cooking Veal Shank

An industry provider like The Butcher Shoppe shows us two choice pieces of veal shanks cut into the osso buco fashion cost $22.00. We can therefore consider it to be a low to medium price cut of meat, as it is certainly not as expensive as prime rib but not as affordable as bones for instance.

The Butcher Shoppe sells two choice osso buco cut veal shanks for $22.00 (The Butcher Shoppe, n.d.)

Gisslen (2018) informs us the best way to make cuts of meat high in connective tissues more tender and therefore more palatable is to use a low-heat moist cooking technique, such as braising, which will turn the meat into a "tender, juicy finished product". The book also advises that in order to break down the collagen present, an acid (such as a tomato-based product, vinegar or wine) or an enzyme tenderizer can be employed. Finally, it is recommended to remove any elastin present, as unlike collagen it cannot break down and will remain rubbery and unpalatable.

Osso Buco Recipe

• 2-3 veal shanks [osso buco cut]
• 30g butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 medium-sized onion [small dice]
• 2 cloves garlic [crushed]
• 1 small carrot [brunoise]
• 1 celery stalk [brunoise]
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 50 mL dry white wine
• 2 cups canned tomatoes [chopped]
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley [roughly chopped]
• Salt, ground black pepper

1. Dip the veal shanks in the flour, dust off excess.
2. Heat a sautoir over medium-high heat. Add the butter.
3. When the butter starts to foam, add the veal shanks and sear them on both sides until golden brown. Reserve.
4. Lower the temperature to medium heat. Sweat the onion (add more butter if required).
5. When translucent, add the carrot, celery, thyme and bay leaf and sauté until tender. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Deglaze with white wine and scrape bits of meat left with a wooden spoon.
7. Once the wine has reduced by 2/3, add the canned tomato. Bring to a simmer and cook off the acidity.
8. Place the veal shanks, cover and cool at low heat for 1-1.5 hour or until the meat starts to detach from the bone.
9. Check for seasoning.
10. Right before service, rough chop some parsley, mix it with the dish and sprinkle some for presentation.

We can observe the following culinary techniques in this dish:

• Searing meat (here with a thin coat of flour) activates the Maillard reaction where what little carbohydrates meat has caramelizes upon heating. This allows to seal in the juices inside the meat and avoid the latter oozing them out and becoming dry
• The white wine and especially the tomato product-since it is more prominent in the dish- will help break down the collagen present in the connective tissues of the shanks thanks to their high level of acidity
• The vegetables, especially the carrot, bring sweetness to the braising liquid and prevent the dish from being too acidic
• This dish uses braising (demonstrated here by using a dry cooking method like pan frying followed by a moist cooking method like stewing) at a low temperature to transform the naturally tough cut of meat given into a tender and juicy end result

Finally, since this is a traditional osso buco recipe, a traditional Italian-inspired accompaniment would suit the dish well, such as polenta, pasta or risotto.

Works Cited

Alfaro, D. (2019, October 29). What Is Connective Tissue? The Spruce Eats. https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-connective-tissue-995836

Canadian Beef Grading Agency. (n.d.). Veal Grading. https://beefgradingagency.ca/livestock-grading-in-canada/veal-grading/

Gisslen, W. (2018). 16 Understanding Meats and Game [E-book]. In Professional Cooking for Canadian Chefs (9th ed., pp. 456–491). John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Jurassic Coast Farm Shop. (n.d.). Beef vs Veal – what is the difference? https://jurassiccoastfarmshop.co.uk/beef-vs-veal-what-is-the-difference/

Peter’s Farm. (n.d.). What is the difference between beef and veal? https://www.petersfarm.com/contact/frequently-asked-questions/what-is-the-difference-between-beef-and-veal

Images Cited

Canadian Food Inspection Agency. (2020, June 1). Veal - Meat cuts manual [Graph]. Government of Canada. https://inspection.canada.ca/food-label-requirements/labelling/industry/meat-and-poultry-products/meat-cuts/veal/eng/1348771541038/1348771745050

Mrakovic Meat & Deli. (n.d.). Veal Shank (Bone In) [Photograph]. https://www.mrakovic.com/products/milk-fed-veal-shank-bone-in

The Butcher Shoppe. (n.d.). Choice Veal Osso Bucco Center Cut [Photograph]. https://butchershoppedirect.com/products/choice-veal-osso-bucco-center-cut?variant=39377304354899¤cy=CAD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIusat9qjh8wIV22xvBB2scwxQEAYYASABEgLYM_D_BwE