Tender veal roast cooked in a delicious sauce. This easy recipe makes a fabulous Sunday dinner or holiday meal.
I tend to make a roast during the colder months of the year, but this veal roast recipe is something I often cook in summer. It’s light and delicate, the sauce is included, and it makes a perfect festive meal when served with roasted potatoes or couscous.
And if you would like to try another fantastic veal recipe, try our Veal Shanks, Slow Cooker Osso Bucco, Ground Veal Meatballs, or learn How to Cook Veal Liver.
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Expert Tips
- A Dutch oven with a lid is perfect for making this roasted veal recipe. If you don’t have one, use another oven-proof heavy-bottomed dish with a lid. Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil if it doesn’t have a lid.
- Sauce: I like to blend the vegetables for a thicker, more substantial sauce. However, if you prefer a more delicate sauce, strain the contents of the pan through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the vegetables. In this case, thicken the sauce with cornstarch mixed with a little cold water.
Recipe ingredients
- Boneless veal roast, about 1 – 1.2 kg/ 2.2 – 2.5 lbs. I used the top round of veal.
- Vegetables: Onions, garlic, carrots, celery, tomatoes.
- Liquid: Chicken or veal stock. You can replace half of the liquid with dry white wine.
- Spices: Fine sea salt, ground black pepper, dried thyme, white balsamic vinegar.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F.
- Prepare the meat: Dry it with a kitchen towel and rub it with salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Prepare vegetables: Chop the onions and the garlic and set them aside. Chop the celery, tomatoes, and carrots and set them aside in a separate bowl.
- Sear all over in a Dutch oven, about 3 minutes per side. Don’t forget to sear the sides of the meat as well (1).
- Add onions and garlic and cook them for about 2 minutes, stirring (2). Add celery, tomatoes, and carrots, and cook for another 3 minutes (3).
- Cook: Add the stock and ¼ teaspoon of fine sea salt. Bring to a gentle boil. Cover and place the Dutch oven in the oven. Cook for 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours until the internal temperature reaches 72°C/ 160°F (4).
- Rest the roasted veal on a plate while you finish the sauce.
- Sauce: Add a little white balsamic to the pot. Blend the sauce until smooth (5).
- Adjust the taste with more salt, black pepper, and more vinegar if required.
- Slice the roast and serve immediately with the sauce.
Recipe FAQ
A roasting piece is cut from larger cuts, like loin, sirloin, or rib. For this recipe, I always use the boneless top round; it’s often sold under the name of veal roast. It has a round-oval shape, and it’s pretty lean.
Sear it before you cook it in the oven. Roast it covered, and don’t overcook it. When making roast this way, it is less likely to overcook the meat, but check the internal temperature after about one hour already and remember that the inner temperature will rise a bit more while the meat rests.
How to serve it?
I love it with couscous; I think steamed couscous or Couscous Salad is a great side dish, especially in summer. Roasted or mashed potatoes, Basic Polenta, Polenta Loaf, or risotto, are delicious as well.
Make some Green Peas or Green Beans on the side. A green salad with a vinaigrette is also great.
More veal recipes
Easy Veal Roast
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1-1.2 kg veal roast 2.2 - 2 ½ lbs Note 1
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 250 g onions 9 oz
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 tomatoes about 200 g/ 7 oz
- 2 carrots about 200 g/ 7 oz
- 250 ml chicken stock 1 cup, Note 2
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2-3 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Prepare veal: Rub the meat dry with a kitchen towel. Sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and thyme, and rub it well.
- Prepare vegetables: Chop the onions and the garlic and set them aside. Chop the celery, tomatoes, and carrots and set them aside in a separate bowl.
- Sear the meat: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. Sear the veal all over, about 3 minutes per side. Don’t forget to sear the sides of the meat as well.
- Add onions and garlic and cook them for about 2 minutes, stirring. Add celery, tomatoes, and carrots, and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Roast: Add the chicken stock and ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt. Bring to a gentle boil and cover. Place the Dutch oven in the oven and cook for 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours until the internal temperature reaches 72°C/ 160°F.
- Rest: Remove the veal from the pot and let it rest while you finish the sauce.
- Sauce: Add a little white balsamic to the vegetables. Blend the sauce until smooth.
- Adjust the taste with more salt, black pepper, and more vinegar if required.
- Slice the roast and serve immediately with the sauce.
Notes
- I used the top round of veal.
- Use veal stock if available, but not beef stock.
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