Veal Piccata and Lemon Basil Veal Chops

Hi Oaks, glad you're back! It's been ages since I've posted, so I thought it was about time.

It's summer, so most of us are steering clear of the heavy stuff. Veal fits the bill nicely for meat that doesn't seem as "weighty" as beef sometimes. Jon does love his baby cow and capers, and anything that combines the two is a winner in his book. Here are two of the recipes he likes most. Plowboys is still the best place to get good veal, but Costco will do in a pinch. You'll notice that many of the ingredients are the same, but the end result is very different! I suppose you could modify these for chicken, buy why would you want to?

Veal Piccata (for 2)
3-4 veal scallopini
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup flour
salt & pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 clove minced garlic
1/3 cup butter, cut in chunks
2 or so Tbsp capers

Pasta for serving (optional)

Pound the scallopini until they're nice and thin. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper, and dredge the scallops then put them on a cooling rack. Be sure to get most of the flour off the scallops as you don't want a batter here. Put the oil in the pan and let it get nice and hot. Best to use a standard pan here instead of nonstick as you want that fond later! When the oil wisping but not yet smoking, lay the scallops in the oil and cook for a couple of minutes on each side (for medium), then transfer to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Deglaze the pan with the wine then add the chicken stock and garlic, stirring to get all the brown bits off. Bring up to a boil and reduce until it's nice and syrupy. This is a good time to drain any accumulated juices from the platter into the sauce. Add most of the lemon juice and reduce again. Pull it off the heat and whisk in the butter a bit at a time. Add in your capers and the last of the lemon juice, stirring to combine. Give the scallops a quick dip in the sauce and place them back on the platter. If you're using pasta, toss it with the remaining sauce and plate it up next to the scallops. If not, just pour the sauce on the veal and serve.

Lemon Basil Veal Chops (for 2)

2 1 1/2 inch thick veal chops
1 lemon
1/3 cup olive oil of choice
3 cloves garlic
12-14 basil leaves
dash garlic powder
dash onion powder
good pinch salt
ground pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp capers

I use my mini food processor for this one. A knife would work but would be hellish so use a blender or food processor!

Zest and juice the lemon. Put that in the work bowl of the processor and add the garlic, basil, and seasonings. Whirl it a bit, then stream in the oil. When it forms a nice paste, you're all set. Put the marinade in a zip bag, then add the chops. Let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so, or on the counter for a half hour. Get the chops ready for the grill by scraping off as much marinade as possible, leaving it in the bag. Grill up the chops according to the instructions that came with your grill. Usually about 5 minutes a side should do it. Pull them off and let them rest, tented, while you make the sauce. Put the wine in a saucepan and add the reserved marinade and bring to a boil for five minutes. Add in the capers after that's done and pour over your chops. Yum.