It's about veal. I bought 2 pounds of veal on Friday to make veal stew. It was at a good store, one that tries to make personal service a priority, and it was very expensive (at least, I thnk $10 a pound is expensive). They didn't have any made up, but said they would do it for me, so I asked them to cut and trim 2 pounds of veal fora stew.

When I got it home, I found that he had not cubed it, but cut it in slabs that were about 3 inches by 2 inches. Each slab was also full of connective tissue that had to be trimmed before it was usable. Am I right in being upset about this? Or is this the New World Order? (I've been out of the cooking loop for a decade.)

More importantly, I blush to admit, I don't think it was veal. I bought veal for blanquette de veau years ago -- only once -- and it was pink. Every piece of veal I've ever bought was pink. This was red. It is not particularly tender. I think he gave me stew beef.

Can anyone advise? I don't mind making a fool of myself here, but I'd rather not do it there I'd like some expert advice before I take my cleaver to Fresh Fields.

Thanking you in advance, I remain, stewing.....

From what I recall veal is pink. I did a quick web search and came up with this, color and age of the animal does is a factor in veal, as far as I know.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/standards/v&c-car.pdf

Quote:
"Differentiation between veal, calf, and beef carcasses is made primarily on the basis of the
color of the lean, although such factors as texture of the lean; character of the fat; color, shape,
size, and ossification of the bones and cartilages; and the general contour of the carcass are also
given consideration. Typical veal carcasses have a grayish pink color of lean that is very smooth
and velvety in texture and they also have a slightly soft, pliable character of fat and marrow, and
very red rib bones. By contrast, typical calf carcasses have a grayish red color of lean, a flakier
type of fat, and somewhat wider rib bones with less pronounced evidences of red color. Calf
carcasses with maximum maturity for their class have lean flesh that is usually not more than
moderately red in color, their rib bones usually have a small amount of red and only a slight
tendency toward flatness,"

Another link to the same site:
http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/st-pubs.htm
http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/mgc/grade.htm

zellie

Thanks, Zellie! No gray here. Just bright red. Maybe it was ox!

I have to say that it wasn't bad, and the second day, reheated, was very good. So I won't go after him with a cleaver, just my reporter's notebook!

I don't eat any red meat any longer (except bacon at times), so I don't recall exactly, but there is a difference between veal and a young calf in the grading.
I also think he sold you beef for veal. LOL.
It was your cooking that did it!

zellie