Stuffed Breast of Veal

5 from 19 votes

A classic stuffed breast of veal recipe with herbs and breadcrumbs rolled and braised for layers of succulent flavors and tender meat alla fornara.

Prep Time20

Cook Time2

Resting Time15

Total Time2 35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 562kcal

Blanch the spinach and set aside over a colander to cool.
Drain the spinach by squeezing out as much water as possible.
Saute the garlic for 30 seconds.
Mix the spinach, garlic, parmesan, and lemon zest with salt and pepper and pulse in a food processor.
Add the pork panko and mix to combine.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Adjust the cooking rack to the lower middle rack.
Arrange the breast of the veal on a clean work surface. Trim, if needed, any excess fat or bones.
Pound with a meat mallet if needed to create an even work surface.
Season the veal liberally with salt and pepper.
With the fat side down, lay the prosciutto over the veal.
Spoon the spinach filling evenly on the veal, leaving an inch at the long edge for rolling.
Tightly roll the veal towards the exposed edge and secure it with butchers twice every inch or so.

Preheat a large dutch oven or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Swirl the oil in the pan to coat it.
When hot, add the veal and brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Transfer the breast of the veal to a cutting board.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine.
If using a dutch oven, remove from heat and add the onion, celery and carrots. If using a baking dish, transfer the liquid to the dish and add the onions, celery, and carrots now.
Tie the herbs together and add them as well.
Pour the chicken stock in and nestle the veal back into the pot seam side down.
Cover with the lid and place in the preheated oven.

Braise the veal for 1 ½ hours, basting every 20 minutes or so with the lid on, until the veal reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F. Add more stock if needed to keep the veal covered about halfway up the sides.
Remove the veal from the oven. Increase the temperature to 400 degrees F.
Carefully remove the lid and slice the roast back into the oven uncovered.
Roast the breast of the veal for another 30 to 45 minutes to brown the outside.
The veal is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Remove the veal from the oven and transfer to a cutting board.
Place a few dollops of the garlic compound butter on top of the veal with the garlic compound butter. Tent with foil to rest.

Meanwhile, strain the cooking liquid and return to the dutch oven. Skim off any fat from the surface with a mesh strainer.
Bring the liquid to a rolling boil over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
Reduce the heat and allow the liquid to simmer until reduced by half.

In a small bowl, use your fingers to pinch the parsley, garlic, and lemon zest together and mix to make the gremolata.

After 15 minutes, remove the butcher's twine from the veal and slice it into portions about ½ inch thick to serve.
Plate the veal and serve with the reduction and a sprinkle of the gremolata.

Use long grilling tongs and a large, heavy-duty spatula to help maneuver the roast when searing.

If you have veal stock, we recommend using it instead of chicken stock for a richer flavor.

It's essential to use a quality digital meat thermometer to measure this roast's internal temperature accurately. Because it's rolled, you want to ensure the probe touches the meat and not the spinach filling when checking the temperature.

You can mix Swiss chard in with your spinach stuffing mixture. Be sure to remove the chard stems before blanching to omit the bitterness.

If you know your family can handle the heat, also add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the spinach filling for a little heat.