So Many Dishes

It isn’t very often that I choose a recipe solely because of its name. I suppose I can’t say that the recipe title was 100% of the reason I decided to try this dish, it was impossible to resist sultry spiced veal.

I’d found a package of veal cubes at the supermarket a couple of weeks ago. Rather than make one of our standard, go-to veal dishes, Ken and I decided it was time to try something new. I looked through a cookbook that I gave Ken a few years ago, Stews, by Jenna Holst. The book isn’t new; its copyright is 1998. While Ken has made a few of the dishes from the book, this was my first time cooking from it.

Since I’d never heard of her, I tried to do some research on the author. The jacket notes say that she lives (or lived) in South Africa. She worked as a recipe developer for several publishers, including Weight Watchers. She also authored a couple of cookbooks in the “…for Dummies” and “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to…” series. Stews seems to be her only stand alone cookbook.

If you define sultry food as having a rich, intense flavor profile that draws you in, then sultry spiced veal fits the definition. The aroma had my mouth watering as the stew cooked. The flavor combination of spices and orange is certainly unique, and absolutely delicious. The author describes the dish as being Malay style, although it doesn’t use the typical spices or traditional ingredients.

The cooking method is one that I’ve never encountered before. After browning the veal and removing the cubes from the pot, sliced onions, whole spices, and water are added to the pot and allowed to cook until all water has evaporated. At that point, a tablespoon of oil is added and the onions are browned. From what I’ve read, this technique cuts the bite of the onions and ensures a soft texture. By the time the dish was cooked, the onions had essentially melted into the sauce.

We didn’t have as much meat as the recipe calls for, but I didn’t cut the amount of any of the other ingredients. I made one other change. There’s an option of including cubed potatoes, which we decided not to include. Instead, because I really wanted an additional vegetable, I added sliced carrots. I’d never make it again without them. Oh, I made one emergency substitution: the recipe calls for whole coriander seeds, and I realized as I started my prep that I didn’t have any. Instead, I added a quarter teaspoon of ground coriander when I added the brown sugar. It worked out just fine.

The result is a rather dry stew. As much as we love sauces, I wish there had been more. I actually added a little extra water when I added the carrots. We served the stew over jasmine rice. I’d planned to make pilaf, but I got caught up in the movie we were watching—we had a Netflix marathon—so opted for simple steamed fragrant rice. That was just fine, although I’m hungry now for my good pilaf 😄 Despite not being particularly saucy, it was delicious. We both enjoyed it very much, and I hope to make it again. It’s not as heavy as some stews, and would be a good warm weather dish, although I do tend to look for dishes where I don’t need to have the stove on for so long.

Sultry Spiced Veal

• 1 to 2 pounds trimmed boneless veal, but into 1-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 8 cardamom pods
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 cup chopped canned tomatoes
• 1-inch strip fresh orange zest
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
• 1 cup sliced carrots, about 1/4-inch slices

Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Season the veal with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Working in batches if necessary, brown the meat on all sides. Transfer the browned veal cubes to a bowl and set aside.

In the same pot, over medium high heat, combine the water, onions, cardamom pods, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and cook until all the water has evaporated.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the onions and seasonings. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the onions are very tender, about 10 minutes.

Return the veal to the pot. Add the orange juice, brown sugar, coriander, tomatoes, orange zest, garlic, and ginger. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the veal is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste (I didn’t add the salt; I thought it was fine).

Add the carrots. If the dish seems too dry, you can add 1/3 cup water, as well. Cover and cook until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes longer. Serve with rice. Makes 4 servings ( with 1 pound of veal).

Happy eating!