Equipment
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1000 g boneless rolled veal breast, tied with butcher's twine
- 30 g dried porcini mushrooms
- 250 g cremini mushrooms, halved
- 250 ml dry white wine
- 150 g shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise
Pantry Staples
- 250 ml boiling water
- 15 ml olive oil
- 30 g unsalted butter
- kosher salt
- black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 724 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbohydrates
- 17 g
- Fat
- 47 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 1162 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 19 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 22 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 194 mg
- Potassium
- 1289 mg
- Calcium
- 54 mg
- Iron
- 2.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 76 mg
- Phosphorus
- 563 mg
- Zinc
- 7.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 51 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.33 mg
- Niacin
- 2.5 mg
- Folate
- 29 mcg
- Water
- 375 g
- Alcohol
- 6 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 160C (320F) with a rack in the lower middle position.
Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let soak for 20 minutes. Afterward, strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a separate bowl, pressing on the mushrooms to extract all moisture. Reserve both the hydrated mushrooms and the strained liquid.
Thoroughly pat the veal breast dry with paper towels. Season aggressively on all sides with salt and black pepper.
Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the veal breast and sear until deeply browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Use tongs to transfer the veal to a cutting board.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the unsalted butter to the remaining fat in the Dutch oven. Stir in the shallots and fresh cremini mushrooms. Sauté until the mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved rehydrated porcini mushrooms and cook for 1 more minute.
Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom with a wooden spoon. Simmer until the wine is reduced by half.
Return the seared veal breast to the pot along with any resting juices. Pour in the reserved strained mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover tightly with the lid, and transfer to the preheated oven. Braise for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours, until the meat registers at least 85C (185F) internally and yields easily to a fork.
Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the veal breast to a clean cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
While the meat rests, place the Dutch oven back on the stove over medium-high heat. Boil the braising liquid with the mushrooms and shallots until it reduces into a glossy, thick pan sauce that coats the back of a spoon.
Remove the butcher's twine from the rested veal. Slice into 2cm thick rounds. Plate the slices and spoon the reduced mushroom and wine pan sauce generously over the top.
Chef's Notes
- Veal breast is rich in connective tissue. While food safety requires poultry and ground meats to reach 74C (165F), tough cuts like veal breast must reach 85C to 93C (185F to 200F) for the collagen to dissolve into rich gelatin.
- Do not skip patting the meat dry before searing. Excess surface moisture creates steam, which prevents the Maillard reaction from creating a deeply flavored, brown crust.
- The soaking liquid from dried mushrooms acts as an intense, umami-rich broth. Pour it slowly when straining, leaving the last tablespoon behind in the bowl, as this is where any residual sand will settle.
- If your Dutch oven lid is not heavy or tight-fitting, press a sheet of parchment paper down over the meat and liquid before placing the lid on. This cartouche limits evaporation and keeps the exposed meat moist.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store veal sliced in the sauce to retain moisture.
Freezer: 2 months — Fresh mushrooms may soften upon thawing, but the sauce will maintain its flavor.
Reheating: Gently reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through, adding a splash of water if the sauce is too thick.
Troubleshooting
Veal breast is tough and chewy
Cause: The meat has not braised long enough to break down the connective collagen
Fix: Return the veal to the pot with the liquid, cover, and continue braising for another 30 to 45 minutes until tender.
Prevention: Ensure the oven temperature is accurate and do not rush the cooking time. Braised meats need time, not just heat.
Pan sauce is gritty
Cause: Sand or dirt from the dried mushrooms transferred into the braising liquid
Fix: Remove the veal and gently pour the sauce through a fine strainer into a new saucepan, discarding the gritty solids at the bottom. Re-sauté fresh mushrooms if desired.
Prevention: Always strain the mushroom soaking liquid through a fine mesh sieve. If the mushrooms are particularly dirty, line the sieve with a coffee filter or paper towel.
Pan sauce is too thin and watery
Cause: The braising liquid did not reduce enough, or the lid was sealed so tightly that no evaporation occurred in the oven
Fix: Continue boiling the sauce uncovered on the stovetop. For a faster fix, whisk in a slurry of 10g cornstarch mixed with 15ml cold water and simmer for 1 minute.
Prevention: Allow adequate time for the final reduction step on the stovetop.
Cultural Context
Braised veal, or veau braisé, is a cornerstone of provincial French cooking. Historically, cuts like the breast were favored by frugal cooks because slow, wet heat transforms tough, inexpensive meat into a luxurious, melt-in-the-mouth centerpiece. The addition of wild mushrooms and wine reflects the terroir of rural French cooking, relying on local, preserved, and seasonal ingredients.
