Australian Rose Veal

Buy veal online and you are getting rose veal — pale pink, fine-grained and mild, from calves raised in groups with room to move, not the banned white-veal crate system.

Choosing veal cuts

Schnitzel and scaloppine (from the leg) are the everyday cuts — pounded thin, crumbed or floured, cooked in a minute. Cutlets are the premium grill cut. Osso buco (shin, cross-cut through the bone) is the braising star — the marrow enriches the sauce. Diced veal and mince go into a delicate ragù, a blanquette, or a meatball mix with pork. Veal is leaner and more tender than beef but with less developed flavour, so it takes to butter, lemon, sage, capers and cream.

Cooking veal

Because it is lean and young, veal overcooks fast. Schnitzel needs a hot pan and 60–90 seconds a side — no more. Cutlets are best at medium (an internal 60–63°C), rested well. Osso buco and other braises want the opposite: brown hard, then 2–3 hours at a bare simmer until the meat slips off the bone. General meat cooking-temperature guidance is on the Food Standards Australia and New Zealand site. Store veal below 4°C and use within 3 days, or freeze.