Veal

This recipe originally accompanied Braised Beef Short Ribs with Root Vegetable Ragout.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes.

Osso Buco You can begin making the risotto that accompanies this osso buco while the sauce for the veal is reducing. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 4 hr

Gremolata, a mix of finely chopped lemon zest, parsley, and garlic, is an Italian topping classically served with osso buco. We added some basil to make it even livelier.

"I developed this recipe last winter and think it makes excellent cold-weather fare," says Lora Anderson of Cincinnati, Ohio.

You can start preparing these one day ahead. What to drink: A svelte red Burgundy from the Côte de Nuits or a Pinot Noir from Oregon's Willamette Valley.

Pine nuts provide a buttery contrast to the tart capers in this sophisticated veal dish.

Have your butcher order the veal breast, then ask him to bone, butterfly, and pound it, forming a rectangle that has the dimensions described in the recipe.

In the following recipe the veal is roasted on top of the stove, a cooking technique that was developed in Italy before home ovens became commonplace. Unlike braising, this method uses only a small amount of liquid and results in meat that is succulent and tender but not falling apart. Pan roasting also renders a delicious caramelized coating and savory pan juices. Surprisingly, the anchovies do not impart a strong fishy flavor but rather add rich depth. Do not salt the meat before browning it, as the anchovies have salt aplenty.

Serve this sophisticated entrée on a bed of spinach linguine that has been tossed with sautéed strips of red and yellow bell peppers.

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 18 hr (includes chilling)

Any variety or combination of mushrooms can be used for this dish.

"While visiting Long Beach, California, we dined at a bit of elegant, imported Italy called L'Opera," writes Shirley Harris of Sun Lakes, Arizona. "The service was excellent, each dish divine, but the veal scaloppine was what my husband begged me to try to re-create. It would be great to surprise him with this dish at home." If you can't find porcini powder in the spice aisle of your supermarket, grind 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms in a spice mill; that will be enough for one tablespoon.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

You'll need to order this cut of veal, a two-rib chop, from your butcher. When the meat is carved, the first one or two slices may contain gristle, but after that the veal will be beautifully tender.

For some time I had been thinking: How can I pare down a classic meat sauce for those occasions when I have neither the time to make nor the voracity to consume a full-scale ragù? The sauce below is the answer I came up with. I replaced beef with veal; eliminated the milk, the wine, the carrot, and the celery; and reduced the cooking time from several hours to half of one. It is as easy to take as it is to do. Is it a favorite dish? Sure — it is my favorite simple meat sauce. Suggested pasta: The ideal carrier for this simple meat sauce is a homemade noodle, in particular one scented with rosemary and sage, cut into fettuccine or tonnarelli.  Boxed dry pasta in a short tubular shape such as penne or maccheroncini  can be a satisfactory alternative.

Be sure to have the butcher bone the veal chops. Serve this elegant main course with vegetables.