Veal Uccelletto Style - Vitello all'Uccelletto

Veal Uccelletto Style, or Vitello all'Uccelletto: In Tuscany uccelletto generally refers to cranberry beans cooked with a little tomato sauce, and perhaps sausages. Vitello all'uccelletto is instead Ligurian home cooking, one of those quick, easy things that's ideal for contrasting the lack of appetite one often finds among children or the elderly. If you're making it for children, you may want to omit the wine. To serve 6 you'll need:

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) veal loin, filet, or lower rump
• 1/4 cup (50 g) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
• 2 leaves fresh sage
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup white wine, ideally sweet dessert wine, though dry if need be (or the juice of a half a lemon)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

Thinly slice the meat and pound it gently with the flat of the knife to smooth it out.

Crumble the bay leaf and put it to heat in a pot with the sage, olive oil, and butter; when the mixture begins to crackle add the slices of meat and cook them over a brisk flame, turning them often. After about 5 minutes, sprinkle the wine into the pot. Continue cooking until it has evaporated, then serve the meat, with the pan drippings.

The wine? A red from the Colline di Luni might be nice, as would a Dolcetto di Ovada. And to accompany it all? Funghi al Funghetto, wild mushrooms sliced and pan-sauted with olive oil, garlic and parsley.

Yield: 4 servings Vitello all'uccelletto.

User Reviews