Know this
Young beef, pale and fine-grained, with a delicacy full-grown beef loses. Two ways to treat it: the tender cuts (loin, chop, cutlet) want fast and gentle heat, while the tough, gelatin-rich shank wants a long, slow braise, that is osso buco. The chef secret: veal is a canvas, so lemon, sage, capers, and wine do the talking.
Cook
Pound cutlets thin and flash-fry for piccata or saltimbocca, or braise the shank low for hours until it slips off the bone.
Season
Spring, traditionally, alongside the first tender vegetables.
Best pairings
lemon · capers · sage · white wine · marsala · prosciutto
Also worth trying: butter, mushrooms, white asparagus, parmesan, gremolata, anchovy, shallot, thyme, new potatoes, arugula.
Recommended wine
A light-to-medium red or a rich white. Barbera, Pinot Noir, or oaked Chardonnay. Around $18 to $35.
See the full pairing guide