veal
Top
(vēl) 
n.
n.
- The meat of a calf.
- also veal·er (vē'lər) A calf raised to be slaughtered for food.
[Middle English veel, from Old French, from Latin vitellus, diminutive of vitulus, calf.]
Top
veal
The young of the cow up to 1 year in age. Older than this, the neutered male is called a "steer" and a female that has not yet calved a "heifer." In butchery, it is mostly the males that are slaughtered, the females being used for producing milk.
Milk-fed veal is almost exclusively fed on milk. Its pale pink flesh, almost white, is very tender and delicate. It is slaughtered at the age of 4-5 months and its carcass weighs about 300 lb (135 kg).
Grain-fed veal is fed on milk until the age of 6-8 weeks. It is then fed a grain-based diet until the age of 5-51/2 months, when it is slaughtered. Its carcass weighs about 340 lb (155 kg). Its flesh is more pink in color, with a stronger flavor and is slightly less tender than milk-fed veal.
Serving Ideas
Veal can be prepared as a pan-fried steak or cutlet, sautéed, roasted, rolled, stewed or cooked in a white sauce. It is used to make veal Milanese and veal Marengo (with white wine, tomato and garlic). Veal shanks are slow cooked to make the Italian dish Osso Buco. Calves' liver and sweetbread (pancreas and thymus glands) are sautéed or stewed in many cuisines. Veal works well with the following ingredients: cream, cheese, herbs (thyme, tarragon, rosemary, sage, basil and others), mushrooms, eggplant, spinach, onion, garlic, tomato, apples, citrus fruits and alcohol (wine, calvados, madeira, cognac and others).
Cooking
Roasted, broiled or grilled,
pan-fried: tender pieces from the ribs, loin and sirloin. Also semitender pieces from the leg, especially if marinated or tenderized with a mallet.
Braised, simmered: the less tender pieces from the neck, shoulder, flank, shank and breast.
Being lean, veal flesh dries out and becomes tough easily. It is therefore a good idea to bard it or coat it in fat or oil and cook it at a fairly low temperature (300°F-350°F/150°C-180°C), basting it from time to time and avoiding overcooking it. Veal is better when it is still slightly pink.
Nutritional Information
| raw loin | roast loin | |
| protein | 20 g | 26 g |
| fat | 3 g | 7 g |
| cholesterol | 80 mg | 100 mg |
| calories | 116 | 175 |
| per 3.5 oz/100 g | ||
The flesh of grain-fed veal contains more iron than milk-fed veal.
Browse other meats:
Browse other foods: Vegetables | Legumes | Fruits | Nuts and Seeds | Seaweeds | Mushrooms | Cereals and Grains | Fish | Crustaceans | Mollusks | Herbs, Spices and Seasonings | Meats | Variety Meats | Delicatessen Meats | Poultry | Dairy Products | Sugars, Cocoa and Carob | Fats and Oils | Binders and Leavenings | Coffee, Tea and Herbal Teas
Top
Meat of young calves. It is usually pale grayish white in colour, firm and fine-grained, with a velvety texture. Calves bred to yield veal are usually raised indoors under controlled temperatures and intensively fed on milk, high-protein calf meal, or both. Herbaceous foods are excluded, which results in an iron deficiency that produces the desirable light colour in the meat. In recent decades, animal-rights groups have denounced calf farming as cruel.
For more information on veal, visit Britannica.com.
Top
Meat of young calf (Bos taurus) 2½-3 months old. A 150-g portion is a rich source of protein, niacin, iron, vitamin B12, and selenium; a good source of vitamins B1, B2, B6, and zinc; a source of copper; contains about 15 g of fat of which one-third is saturated; supplies 350 kcal (1470 kJ).
Figure 7
Top
Though there are no precise age standards for veal, the term is generally used to describe a young calf from 1 to 3 months old. Milk-fed veal comes from calves up to 12 weeks old who have not been weaned from their mother's milk. Their delicately textured flesh is firm and creamy white with a pale grayish-pink tinge. Formula-fed veal can come from calves up to about 4 months old, fed a special diet of milk solids, fats, various nutrients and water. The meat from formula-fed veal is not as rich or delicate as milk-fed veal because of the diet's missing milk fat. The term Bob veal applies to calves younger than 1 month old. Their pale, shell-pink flesh is quite bland and the texture is soft. In all true veal, the animals haven't been allowed to eat grains or grasses, either of which would cause the flesh to darken. Calves between 6 and 12 months old are called baby beef, and have flesh that's coarser, stronger-flavored and from pink to light red in color. True veal is usually plentiful in the spring and late winter. At other times of the year, calves over 3 months old are often sold as veal. The USDA grades veal in six different categories; from highest to lowest they are Prime, Choice, Good, Standard, Utility and Cull. The last three grades are rarely sold in retail outlets. When choosing veal, let color be your guide. The flesh should be creamy white-barely tinged with grayish-pink-and the fat white. Meat that's pink turning red means the so-called "veal" is older than it should be. Veal's texture should be firm, finely grained and smooth. For storage information, see listing for beef. Veal is often cooked by moist-heat methods to compensate for its lack of natural fat. It is easy to overcook and dry out, so careful attention must be paid during preparation. The delicate flavor and fine texture of veal have appealed to diners for centuries. Among the numerous dishes created to highlight this meat are veal cordon bleu, veal marengo, veal orloff, veal oscar, osso buco, veal parmigiana, veal piccata and veal scaloppine. See also Veal Chart, page 754.
Top
veal, flesh of a calf from two to three months old weighing usually less than 300 lb (135 kg). The locomotion of the veal calves is often restricted, and they are fed a real or synthetic milk that is high in protein and low in iron; this produces the desired tenderness and white color of good veal. It contains gelatin in large proportion and is therefore excellent for making soup stock. Flesh from week-old calves disposed of by the dairy industry is used in certain meat products but is not, properly speaking, veal. Veal is sold almost entirely as fresh meat. The main cuts are the leg, loin, ribs (or rack), shoulder, and breast. The brains, liver, kidneys, sweetbreads, and tongue are considered delicacies.
Word Tutor:
Top
veal
IN BRIEF: The flesh of a calf, used as meat.
Veal has become a less popular choice for a meal in recent years.
LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!
Top
In general terms means meat from young calves but there is no internationally acceptable definition of veal. The commonest starting point is 2 weeks of age. Any calves younger than that are considered to be too tasteless and uneconomical. White veal is from calves fed only on milk which necessarily limits their oldest permissible age. Most veal calves marketed at older than 8 weeks are fattened on grain. No roughage is fed and the calves are muzzled if they are allowed onto pasture. This kind of veal calf is grown out to produce a dressed carcass of 250 to 300 lb. In some countries veal carcasses are allowed to cool down with their skins still on to prevent dehydration. It also causes a distinct and desirable souring of the meat.
- v. calves — see veal.
Random House Word Menu:
Top
categories related to 'veal'
See crossword solutions for the clue
Top
Veal is the meat of young cattle (calves), as opposed to meat from older cattle. Though veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, most veal comes from male calves (bull calves) of dairy cattle breeds. [1]
|
Contents
|
Types
There are five types of veal:
- Bob veal, from calves that are slaughtered when only a few days old (at most 1 month old) up to 60 lb.[2]
- Formula-fed (or "milk-fed") veal, from calves that are raised on a milk formula supplement. The meat colour is ivory or creamy pink, with a firm, fine, and velvety appearance. They are usually slaughtered when they reach 18–20 weeks of age (450-500 lb).[3]
- Non-formula-fed ("red" or "grain-fed")[4] veal, from calves that are raised on grain, hay, or other solid food, in addition to milk. The meat is darker in colour, and some additional marbling and fat may be apparent. It is usually marketed as calf, rather than veal, at 22–26 weeks of age (650-700 lb).
- Rose veal UK is from calves raised on farms in association with the UK RSPCA's Freedom Food programme. Its name comes from its pink colour, which is a result of the calves being slaughtered at around 35 weeks.[5]
- Free-raised veal, The veal calves are raised in the pasture, and have unlimited access to mother’s milk and pasture grasses. They are not administered hormones or antibiotics. These conditions replicate those used to raise authentic pasture-raised veal. The meat is a rich pink color. Free-raised veal are typically lower in fat than other veal.[citation needed] Calves are slaughtered at about 24 weeks of age.
The veal industry's support for the dairy industry goes beyond the purchase of surplus calves. It also buys large amounts of milk byproducts. Almost 70% of veal feeds (by weight) are milk products. Most popular are whey and whey protein concentrate (WPC), byproducts of the manufacture of cheese. Milk byproducts are sources of protein and lactose. Skimmed milk powder, casein, buttermilk powder and other forms of milk byproducts are used from time to time.[6]
Culinary uses
Veal has been an important ingredient in Italian and French cuisine from ancient times. The veal is often in the form of cutlets, such as the Italian cotoletta or the famous Austrian dish Wiener Schnitzel. Some classic French veal dishes include: fried escalopes, fried veal grenadines (small thick fillet steaks), stuffed paupiettes, roast joints and blanquettes. As veal is lower in fat than many meats, care must be taken in preparation to ensure that it does not become tough. Veal is often coated in preparation for frying or eaten with a sauce. Veal Parmigiana is a common Italian-American dish consisting of breaded veal cutlets.
In addition to providing meat, the bones of calves are used to make a stock that forms the base for sauces and soups such as demi-glace. The stomachs are also used to produce rennet, used in the production of cheese. Calf offal is also widely regarded as the most prized of animal offal.[7] Most valued are the liver, sweetbreads, kidney, and bone marrow. The head, brains, tongue, feet, and mesentery are also valued.
Production
Birth
Newborn calves are given a varied amount of time with their mothers, which can be anything from a few hours to a few days.[8][9] Free-raised calves are raised alongside their mothers, and always have access to their mother’s milk.
The modern veal industry has connections with the dairy industry.[8][9] To produce milk, cows must be lactating, and to be lactating, they must get pregnant and give birth. Approximately 50% of all calves born in dairy farming are male. Since only female calves are used to produce milk, use of male dairy calves is limited, outside of breeding.[10][11]
Housing
Three different primary types of housing used for veal calves: hutches, stalls, or various types of group housing.[10][11]
While calves are young and most vulnerable to disease, they are kept in hutches, which keep them isolated and restrict movement so as to prevent connective tissue from developing, as the taste of veal raised in this manner is considered desirable,[10] although this has been illegal in most of Europe since the 1970s.[citation needed]
Free-raised or pasture-raised veal calves require no housing, barns, or facilities. Calves freely roam open pastures with their mothers and herd.[citation needed]
Feeding
"Milk-fed" veal calves consume a diet consisting of milk replacer, formulated with mostly milk-based proteins and added vitamins and minerals. This type of diet relates to infant formula and is also one of the most common diets used for calves in the veal industry.[9][12]
"Grain-fed" calves normally consume a diet of milk replacer for the first six to eight weeks. The calves then move on to a mostly corn-based diet.[11]
Free-raised calves are raised on an open pasture and receive a diet of milk, grass, and fresh water. Furthermore, free-raised calves do not receive drugs such as hormones or antibiotics, which is often a focus of criticism amongst animal welfare organizations.[12]
Animal welfare
Veal is a controversial issue in terms of animal welfare.
Multiple animal welfare organizations, who strongly focus on factory farming, attempt to educate consumers about several veal production procedures they consider to be inhumane. This education has proven successful in creating pressure on the industry, resulting in changes in the methods used by the veal industry.[12]
A strong animal welfare movement concerning veal started in the 1980s with the release of photographs of veal calves tethered in crates where they could barely move. After the release of these photographs, veal sales have plummeted, and have never recovered.[13]
Many veal farmers have started improving conditions in their veal farms.[13][14] The American Veal Association has announced they plan to phase out the use of crates by 2017, which is often the main focus of controversy in veal farming. Strauss Brands is the first veal packer in the U.S. to raise veal calves completely tether-free and group-raised since December 31, 2008.[15][16][17]
Criticism of veal crates revolves around the fact that the veal calves are highly restricted in movement; have unsuitable flooring; spend their entire lives indoors; experience prolonged sensory, social, and exploratory deprivation; and are more susceptible to high amounts of stress and disease.[12] According to the Veal Quality Assurance Program and Veal Issues Management Program industry fact sheet, and the Ontario Veal Association, individual housing systems are important for disease control, and in reducing the possibility of physical injury. Furthermore, they state it also allows for veal farmers to provide more personal attention to veal calves.[10][9]
Alternative agricultural practices for using male dairy calves include raising bob veal (slaughter at two or three days old),[18] raising calves as "red veal" without the severity of dietary restrictions needed to create pale meat (resulting in fewer antibiotic treatments and lower calf mortality),[19] and as dairy beef.[20]
In 2008-9 the demand for free-raised veal rose rapidly.[14][21]
In 2007, less than 5% of veal calves were raised in a group environment. In 2009, this had increased to 35%.[citation needed]
Bob veal slaughterhouse closure
In November 2009, a slaughterhouse certified as an organic processor in Vermont specializing in bob veal was closed after a series of cases of inhumane treatment towards veal calves. Inhumane treatment, in this situation, involved calves that appeared to have been skinned alive, kicked, dragged, and repeatedly shocked with electric prods.[22][23][24]
In a hidden-camera investigation by the HSUS, a USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service inspector was shown coaching a slaughterhouse worker on ways to avoid having the facility being shut down.[22][25] The facility, Bushway Packing, was shut down by the USDA with the Vermont Agriculture Agency.
Drug usage in veal
The USDA does not approve the use of hormones on veal calves for any reason, with the exclusion for use in ruminating cattle, which is not related to veal.[clarification needed] They do, however, approve the use of antibiotics in veal raising to treat or prevent disease.[26] There is no check to see whether farmers and veal producers do not use antibiotics for reasons other than preventing or treating diseases.
In 2004, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) expressed concern that the use of illegal drugs might be widespread in the veal industry.[27]In 2004, an official of the USDA found a lump on a veal calf in a Wisconsin veal farm, which turned out to be an illegal hormone implant (such implants are only allowed legally for beef cattle).[28][27] PETA suggests this practice has been going on for 30 years.[28] In 2004 the organisation stated "Penicillin is not used in calf raising: tetracycline has been approved, but is not widely used."[26]
Veal crate bans
The following shows where veal crates have been banned, or are currently in the process of being banned:
Europe
Veal crates became illegal in the UK in 1990,[29] and a full ban has been placed for the entire European Union, as of 2007.[30][31] Switzerland, with its substantial dairy industry, continues to use crates.
Veal calf production as such is not allowed in many Northern European countries, such as in Finland. In Finland, giving feed, drink or other nutrition which is known to be dangerous to the health of the animal to an animal which is being cared for is prohibited, as well as failing to give nutrients the lack of which is known to cause the animal to fall ill. The Finnish Animal Welfare Act of 1996 and the Finnish animal welfare decree of 1996 effectively banned crates in Finland and provided general guidelines for the housing and care of animals.
United States of America
Crates have been banned in several states in the United States. As stated above, several large veal producers, as well as the American Veal Association, are working on phasing out veal crates. State-by-state veal crate bans are as follows:[32]
- 2006 - Arizona (effective 2012, a part of Proposition 204 )[33]
- 2008 - Colorado (effective 2012)[34]
- 2008 - California (effective 2013, a part of Proposition 2)[32]
- 2009 - Maine (effective 2011)[35]
- 2009 - Michigan (effective 2013)[36]
References
- ^ BBC Food - Food matters - Is veal cruel?[dead link]
- ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica "veal"
- ^ Ontario Veal Assoc. - milk-fed veal definition
- ^ Grain-Fed definition in Recommended Code of Practice for Raising Farm Animals[dead link]
- ^ The Appeal of Veal[dead link]
- ^ Veal could be sold from the dairy case -Delft Blue[dead link]
- ^ Montagné, P.: New Concise Larousse Gatronomique, page 1233. Hamlyn, 2007
- ^ a b CCFA - Veal Calves
- ^ a b c d Veal Farm FAQ
- ^ a b c d Ontario Veal - All About Veal Housing
- ^ a b c OFAC.org Veal issue center[dead link]
- ^ a b c d HSUS Welfare of Veal Calves[dead link]
- ^ a b "Veal to Love, Without the Guilt". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/18/dining/18veal.html.
- ^ a b Veal, Cast in a Kinder Light, Washington Post
- ^ CFHS on veal crates
- ^ Veal Assoc. Recommends Group Housing
- ^ AVA statement
- ^ Humane Food - Veal Facts
- ^ Sargeant JM, Blackwell TE, Martin W, et al. Production indicates, calf health and mortality on seven red veal farms in Ontario. Can J Vet Res 1994;58:196-201.
- ^ Maas J, Robinson PH. Preparing Holstein steer calves for the feedlot. Vet Clin Food Anim 2007;23:269-279
- ^ HSUS - Strauss and Marcho veal crates[dead link]
- ^ a b "The HSUS Releases More Video of Animal Abuse at Vt. Slaughter Plant". The Humane Society of the United States. 2 November 2009. http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2009/11/vt_slaughter_investigation_part2_110209.html.
- ^ Boston - veal slaughterhouse closed down[dead link]
- ^ CBS News - Stories - Veal Slaughterhouse Closure[dead link]
- ^ WCAX Veal slaughterhouse closure
- ^ a b USDA's Veal Factsheet
- ^ a b USA Today, "Illegal hormones found in veal calves" March 28, 2004
- ^ a b PETA Veal Factsheet
- ^ CIWF on Veal Crates (UK ban on bottom of page)
- ^ CFHA - Veal Crates
- ^ independent.org - Europe Plan for Veal Crate Ban
- ^ a b University of Nebraska - Cali. Veal[dead link]
- ^ "Arizona Makes History for Farm Animals" May 2007
- ^ "Colorado bans the veal crate and the gestation crate", Compassion in world farming
- ^ "Maine Bans Veal Crates" The Exception magazine
- ^ "Michigan Adopts Law to Ban Gestation Stalls"
External links
 |
Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on |
 |
Look up veal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- Ontario Veal Association — Ontario veal industry in Canada.
- Thinking Outside the Box — Dutch veal farming from Beef magazine
- Veal Farm — Veal industry in the USA.
- Veal Recipes. A collection of recipes for various cuts of veal, tips on cooking, selection and handling of veal
|
|||||||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Translations:
Top
Veal
Nederlands (Dutch)
kalfsvlees, kalf, een kalf doden/van vlees ontdoen
Deutsch (German)
n. - Kalbfleisch
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (μαγειρ.) μοσχάρι, θρεφτάρι, μοσχαρίσιο κρέας
Português (Portuguese)
n. - vitela (f)
Русский (Russian)
телятина, откармливать телят на убой, разделывать телячью тушу
Español (Spanish)
n. - ternera
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - kalvkött
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
小牛肉
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 小牛肉
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) لحم العجل
If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Read more
Visual Food Lover's Guide
Copyright © 2009 QA International. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Wiley and the Wiley logo are registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Used here by license.
Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
Oxford Food & Nutrition Dictionary
A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2005 by A. E. Bender and D. A. Bender. All rights reserved.
Read more
Barron's Food Lover's Companion
Food Lover's Companion. Copyright © 2001 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved.
Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.
Read more
Word Tutor
Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; sign up free. Read more
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; sign up free. Read more
Saunders Veterinary Dictionary
Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.
Read more
Random House Word Menu
© 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier.
Write Brothers Inc.
All rights reserved.
Read more
Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary
Collins Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary © Anne Bradford, 1986, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008
HarperCollins Publishers
All rights reserved.
Read more
Wikipedia on Answers.com
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Veal.
Read more
