Skip to main content

Braised Veal Breast with Herbs, Pernod, and Tomatoes

4.4

(6)

Image may contain Food Dish Meal Stew and Lunch
Braised Veal Breast with Herbs, Pernod, and TomatoesNoel Barnhurst

This is great with polenta or egg noodles. To peel the onions like a pro, boil them for one minute; drain, cool, and peel. What to drink: Mas de Guiot 2005 Château Guiot Rosé from France ($10), a vibrantly colored rosé with raspberry aromas and a hint of spice.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 (4 3/4- to 5-pound) large end of veal breast (about 8 bones), cut between bones into individual ribs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved, thinly sliced
8 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 large shallots, sliced
3 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup Pernod or other anise-flavored liqueur
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 (10-ounce) bag pearl onions, peeled
1 cup brine-cured green olives (such as picholine; about 6 ounces)
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Sprinkle veal ribs on all sides with salt, pepper, thyme, and sage. Heat oil in heavy large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add half of ribs and sauté until brown, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer ribs to bowl. Repeat with remaining ribs.

    Step 2

    Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion, garlic, and shallots to pot. Cover and cook until soft, occasionally scraping up any browned bits, about 8 minutes. Mix in anchovy fillets; cook 1 minute. Add white wine and Pernod. Increase heat and boil mixture 3 minutes. Add diced tomatoes with juice, chicken broth, and chopped fresh tarragon; stir to blend. Add veal and any accumulated juices from bowl, arranging veal in single layer in pot. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until veal is tender, turning veal occasionally, about 1 3/4 hours.

    Step 3

    Add peeled pearl onions and green olives to pot. Cover and simmer until pearl onions are tender, about 25 minutes longer. Do ahead Braised veal can be made 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm before continuing.

    Step 4

    Using tongs, transfer veal to plate. Tilt pot and spoon off fat from top of sauce; discard fat. Boil sauce until thick enough to coat spoon, about 5 minutes. Mix in grated lemon peel. Return veal to sauce and simmer until heated through and flavors blend, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer veal to large shallow bowl and serve.

Read More
An ex-boyfriend’s mom—who emigrated from Colombia—made the best meat sauce—she would fry sofrito for the base and simply add cooked ground beef, sazón, and jarred tomato sauce. My version is a bit more bougie—it calls for caramelized tomato paste and white wine—but the result is just as good.
This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
This marinara sauce is great tossed with any pasta for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that will leave you thinking, “Why didn’t anyone try this sooner?”
This traditional dish of beef, sour cream, and mustard may have originated in Russia, but it’s about time for a version with ramen noodles, don’t you think?
Salmoriglio is a Mediterranean sauce with herbs, garlic, and olive oil. In this version, kelp is used as the base of the sauce.
A slow-simmering, comforting braise delivering healing to both body and soul.