Equipment
Ingredients
veal chops
- 2 bone-in veal rib chop, room temperature
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
- 15 ml olive oil
- 25 g unsalted butter, chilled
- 2 fresh rosemary, whole sprigs
spinach and pancetta
- 80 g pancetta, diced into 6mm batons
- 3 garlic, thinly sliced
- 300 g baby spinach, washed and thoroughly dried
- 10 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 708 kcal
- Protein
- 56 g
- Carbohydrates
- 8 g
- Fat
- 49 g
- Sodium
- 1657 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 16 g
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Pat the veal chops completely dry on all surfaces using paper towels to remove surface moisture and promote optimal browning.
Season both veal chops thoroughly on all sides with 3 g of the fine sea salt and 2 g of freshly cracked black pepper.
Place the diced pancetta into the cold sauté pan and set over medium heat at 160°C (320°F) to render fat and crisp for 6 minutes.
Transfer the crisped pancetta using tongs onto a plate lined with paper towels, leaving approximately 15 ml of rendered fat in the sauté pan.
Heat the olive oil in the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat at 200°C (392°F) for 3 minutes until shimmering.
Lay the seasoned veal chops into the hot skillet and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes to form an amber crust.
Flip the veal chops with tongs, add the unsalted butter and fresh rosemary sprigs to the skillet, and baste continuously with a spoon for 4 minutes until an instant-read digital meat thermometer inserted horizontally into the thickest center registers 63°C (145°F).
Transfer the seared veal chops to a clean cutting board and rest undisturbed for at least 3 minutes to stabilize internal heat and juices.
Set the sauté pan with reserved pancetta fat over medium heat at 150°C (302°F), add the sliced garlic, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the baby spinach, remaining 1 g fine sea salt, and fresh lemon juice to the sauté pan, tossing with tongs for 2 minutes until just collapsed.
Divide the wilted spinach across two dinner plates, place a rested veal chop onto each mound of greens, scatter the crispy pancetta evenly over top, and spoon warm cutting board juices across the meat.
Chef's Notes
- Always observe strict kitchen sanitation by washing cutting boards, knives, and tongs with hot soapy water after handling raw veal before prepping ready-to-eat ingredients like lemon and cooked greens.
- Basting the chop with foaming butter (the classic arrosé technique) carries herb aromatics into every crevice and builds a glossy, uniformly browned crust.
- Rendering diced pancetta in a dry, unheated pan encourages gradual fat release without scorching, producing exceptionally crisp lardons with clean pork flavor.
- Spinach contains high water volume; lifting it promptly onto plates with tongs leaves unneeded pooling water behind in the pan.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store veal chops and spinach in separate airtight glass containers at or below 4°C (40°F) within 2 hours of cooking.
Reheating: Reheat refrigerated veal chops and spinach gently in a skillet over medium-low heat or in an oven preheated to 160°C (320°F) until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 74°C (165°F).
Troubleshooting
Veal chops turn gray and fail to develop a deep brown crust
Cause: The cast iron skillet was not sufficiently preheated or meat surfaces were damp
Fix: Cannot be fixed once fully cooked without severely toughening the meat; spoon browned pan butter over the chops to enhance color and richness
Prevention: Thoroughly dry chops with paper towels and wait until the oil in the skillet is shimmering hot before adding meat
Spinach pools excess watery liquid across the dinner plate
Cause: Spinach was cooked too long over low heat or was not properly spun dry before sautéing
Fix: Tilt the sauté pan and press spinach gently against the pan rim with tongs to drain off free water before plating
Prevention: Dry spinach thoroughly in advance and cook rapidly over medium heat just until wilted
Veal chop internal temperature exceeds 63°C (145°F) resulting in dry texture
Cause: Heat was maintained too high during the butter basting stage or the chop was pulled late
Fix: Cannot be reversed, but resting pan juices and warm melted butter spooned over thin slices will restore perceived juiciness
Prevention: Check internal temperature with a digital thermometer after 3 minutes of basting and remove immediately at 63°C (145°F)
Cultural Context
Pan-seared bone-in veal chops (costolette di vitello) represent a revered tradition of Northern Italian cooking, particularly across Lombardy and Piedmont. Combining tender milk-fed veal with earthy wilted greens and cured pancetta illustrates the classic Italian philosophy of balancing lean, delicate meats with rich rendered animal fats and garden-fresh produce.
