Grilled Veal Chops with Bordellaise Sauce

This is one beautiful piece of meat. But the real star of the show is the Bordellaise sauce. The name simply means that the sauce is of the type made in the Bordeaux region of France. There are many different versions of the sauce, some made with red wine, some with white wine, and some made with vermouth. This recipe uses red wine, beef stock and veal demi glace for powerhouse flavor.

Let's start with the veal. I like a loin chop on the bone. Meat with bones always tastes better than boneless. I got mine at Costco for $12.99 / lb.  If veal isn't your thing, sub in a bone - in ribeye or porterhouse, (well marbled).  Salt (Kosher) and pepper the chop. Let it sit at room temp for a minimum of 30 minutes. You want to cook this after it comes up to room temp, not before. Cold makes the meat tough.

While the chop and the grill are warming up, start to prep the sauce.

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Roughly chop (bite size) 1 lb washed and dried Cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, 2 Tbls fresh Italian parsley, and 1 tomato, seeded and chopped.

Tie up the thyme and rosemary with kitchen string, making a bundle.

On medium / high heat, add 2 Tbls olive oil and 2 Tbls butter into a cast iron Dutch oven, (or soup pot. Or any large vessel). 

(O.K., I didn't really measure, so it's a guess).

Toss in the carrot, celery, onion, along with some Kosher or sea salt and pepper.

Cook for about 7 minutes until the veg has some color.

Add the sliced mushrooms. Cook for at least 5 more minutes, until the mushrooms give up their liquid and start to brown. Add the chopped tomato and the garlic. Stir it up.

When everything is a beautiful brown, and you've accumulated some crud on the bottom of your pot, it's time to deglaze. 

Pour in 1 cup red wine. With a wooden spoon, scrape all of that beautiful crud (fond, flavor, deliciousness) off of the bottom of the pot.

Add 2 cups low sodium beef stock. (If you don't have home made, use stock in a box. I like Rachael Ray's, found in most grocery stores).

Add 1/2 cup veal demi glace, (sub canned "Beef Consomme if you don't have demi glace), bay leaves, thyme / rosemary bundle and give it a stir. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced to a slightly thick consistency.

In a separate bowl, mix 1 Tbls flour with 1 Tbls soft butter into a smooth paste. (This is called a "Buerre Blanc, "white butter" in French).

 Stir into the sauce, completely incorporating until the sauce is thickened and smooth.

Like so.

The sauce is basically done. Just prior to serving, remove thyme bundle and bay leaves. Drop in 1 Tbls butter at a time, whisk in until all butter is incorporated. Taste and re-season to your liking.  Keep warm.

Now it's time to man the grill. Dip a wad of paper towels into some vegetable oil. Using tongs, oil the grill (or grill pan) with the oily paper towels. Heat to medium high. If the grill (or pan) does not smoke, the grill is not hot enough.

Place room temp veal chops at the 10:00 o'clock position on the medium / high heated grill. Cook for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, turn veal chop to the 2:00 o'clock position.

Cook 2 minutes. Turn over.

Cook 2 minutes at 10:00 o'clock position. Then, turn chop to 2:00 o'clock position.

Insert a meat thermometer. If temp reads 125 degrees (F), the chops are done. Remove them to a plate and cover with foil to rest for 10 minutes. This helps all the juices integrate into the meat. If the chops are not at 125 degrees, put them on the cool side of the grill until the temp reaches 125. (Or, put the grill pan into a 350 degree oven until internal temp reaches 125). Rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

Plate the chops. Spoon sauce around the veal chops. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with roasted (or grilled) asparagus and roasted baby red or fingerling potatoes. 

Just a portion note: This 1 lb. chop fed 2 of us for 2 meals. Depending upon your meat consumption, if you slice the chop on the diagonal, this will easily feed 3-4 people.

Bon Appetit!

Ingredients

2  (1 ) pound Veal loin chops, bone in.

1/2 large onion

1 carrot

2 celery stalks

2 cloves garlic

1 lb washed and dried Cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, rough chopped

1 tomato, seeded and chopped.

3 sprigs thyme 

1 sprig rosemary 

2 Tbls olive oil 

2 Tbls butter 

1 cup red wine

2 cups low sodium beef stock

1/2 cup veal demi glace, (sub canned "Beef Consomme" if you don't have demi glace)

2 bay leaves

2 Tbls fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 Tbls flour

1 Tbls soft butter
6 Tbls butter


Method:

1. Roughly chop (bite size) 1 lb washed and dried Cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, 2 Tbls fresh Italian parsley, and 1 tomato, seeded and chopped.
2. Tie up the thyme and rosemary with kitchen string, making a bundle.
3. On medium / high heat, add 2 Tbls olive oil and 2 Tbls butter into a cast iron Dutch oven, (or soup pot. Or any large vessel). 
4. Toss in the carrot, celery, onion, along with some Kosher or sea salt and pepper.
5. Cook for about 7 minutes until the veg has some color.
6. Add the sliced mushrooms. Cook for at least 5 more minutes, until the mushrooms give up their liquid and start to brown. Add the chopped tomato and the garlic. Stir it up.
7. When everything is a beautiful brown, and you've accumulated some crud on the bottom of your pot, it's time to deglaze. 
8. Pour in 1 cup red wine. With a wooden spoon, scrape all of that beautiful crud (fond, flavor, deliciousness) off of the bottom of the pot.
9. Add 2 cups low sodium beef stock. (If you don't have home made, use stock in a box. I like Rachael Ray's, found in most grocery stores).
10. Add 1/2 cup veal demi glace, (sub canned "Beef Consomme if you don't have demi glace), bay leaves, thyme / rosemary bundle and give it a stir. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced to a slightly thick consistency.
11. In a separate bowl, mix 1 Tbls flour with 1 Tbls soft butter into a smooth paste. (This is called a "Buerre Blanc, "white butter" in French).
12. Stir buerre blanc into the sauce, completely incorporating until the sauce is thickened and smooth.
13. Just prior to serving, remove thyme bundle and bay leaves. Drop in 1 Tbls butter at a time, whisk in until all butter is incorporated. Taste and re-season to your liking.  Keep warm.
14. Dip a wad of paper towels into some vegetable oil. Using tongs, oil the grill (or grill pan) with the oily paper towels. Heat to medium high. If the grill (or pan) does not smoke, the grill is not hot enough.
15. Place room temp veal chops at the 10:00 o'clock position on the medium / high heated grill. Cook for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, turn the veal chop to the 2:00 o'clock position.
16. Cook for 2 minutes at the 2:00 position, then  turn over. Cook for 2 minutes at the 2:00 position. Then turn chop to 10.00 o'clock position. Cook for another 2 minutes. 
17. Insert a meat thermometer. If temp reads 125 degrees (F), the chops are done. Remove them to a plate and cover with foil to rest for 10 minutes.
18.  If the chops are not at 125 degrees, put them on the cool side of the grill until the temp reaches 125. 
19. Rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
20. Plate the chops. Spoon sauce around the veal chops. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with roasted (or grilled) asparagus and roasted baby red or fingerling potatoes.