Roast Rack of Veal

Every once in a while, you run into a recipe that is spectacular, even if you add a twist or two of your own. This recipe was just that: spectacular. Rack of veal is not a cheap cut of meat so if you’re going to invest the money and time, you want it to be great. If you follow the recipe without shortcuts, you won’t be disappointed.

🍷 Wine Pairing: A Cabernet Sauvignon, a good Red Blend or a Robust Merlot will pair well with this meal.

Roast Rack of Veal

• 1 4- to 6- pound rib veal rack

• ¼ C extra virgin olive oil

• 2 t freshly ground black pepper

• 4-5 sprigs of fresh rosemary

• 3 bay leaves (crushed)

• 5 to 6 garlic cloves (crushed with skin on)

• 1 T kosher salt

• ¼ C grapeseed oil (plus more as needed)

• 1 stick salted butter

1. Mix the ¼ C of olive oil, pepper, and rosemary sprigs, sage, bay leaves, and garlic cloves and massage into the veal. Seal the veal in a large Ziplock bag or lidded container and refrigerate overnight.

2. Two hours before cooking, remove veal from refrigerator and season with salt. Massage veal once more with the herb-oil mixture. Cover and let come to room temperature.

3. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush off and reserve any of the herbs and garlic stuck to the meat. Heat roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add grapeseed oil and, once hot, brown rack on all sides, about 4-5 minutes per side.

4. Transfer veal to a plate and set roasting rack in roasting pan. Set veal on rack, convex side up, and place in the oven. Roast 15 minutes, then add butter and the reserved herbs and garlic to the bottom of the roasting pan (best to lift the rack out while doing this). Roast 5 minutes more and then baste rack of veal thoroughly with foaming brown butter from the bottom of the pan. Baste again every 5 minutes.

5. After basting three times (15 minutes), use a thermometer to check temperature of roast at its thickest part. Once the internal temperature reaches 130°F (medium-rare – recommended), remove veal from the oven and loosely tent with foil for 10 – 15 minutes before carving. (Note: after third basting, depending on the weight of the veal rack it could take another 30 to 45 minutes for the veal to reach the correct temperature – it is all temperature-driven, not the timing.)