Veal Medallions in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

If you love the coupling of a tender cut of meat and a rich sauce, this is the dish for you! The flavor is a combination of juicy, pan seared veal, and soft mushrooms sealed together with cream of mushroom inspired gravy. Let’s do this!

(Recept na bosanskom: Teleći medaljoni u kremastom sosu od gljiva.)

Inspiration:

I’ll tell you a secret. I have years of cooking experience, but I don’t cook well under pressure. Bottom line, I used to stress out every time my husband and I had someone over for dinner.

To solve this I’ve collected a few simple but sophisticated dishes that come out great time after time. Today’s recipe for veal medallions is one of them. There is something very special in combining this tender meat with soft and earthy mushrooms. 

(If you’re curious about other recipes in my collection, I often make chicken soup with farina noodles, and also the chocolate and pudding dessert cups.) 

Trust me, easy yet tasty meals like these will get rid of your performance anxiety for good.

What meat to look for?

You may wonder which part of veal to look for.

It doesn’t help that cattle is cut differently from country to country.

In some places veal medallions refer to the size and shape of the cut of the meat. In other places, however, medallions refer to a specific part of the calf. 

Don’t worry because here’s what to do for today’s recipe:

• If you’re getting your meat from a butcher shop ask for top round.
• If you’re picking it up at a grocery store get the pre-packaged cutlets, they work well.

Ingredients and method notes:

• Marinade: Most combos of acid, fat and spices work well. We used mustard, oil and Vegeta.
• Veal: Top round is best but cutlets also work.
• Button Mushrooms: Sub with cremini, portobellos or shiitake.
• Broth: For a slightly less “mushroom taste” sub mushroom broth with heavy cream for your creamy mushroom sauce. On the other hand, for a slightly more “mushroom taste,” choose a cream of mushroom mix with different type of mushrooms than the ones you are using. 
• Baguette: Sub with homemade bread but cut the slices in half.

How to make today's dish?

1. Marinate veal ahead of time.
2. Sear the meat and take it out.
3. Cook mushrooms.
4. Add cream of mushroom broth.
5. Return meat to pan.
6. Top with baguette slices.

Background:

Veal holds an important place in Balkan cuisine. In fact, veal dishes are considered a delicacy in this region. Whether from a butcher shop or a restaurant, it is among the most expensive and coveted meats.

Surprisingly, many people still wonder what type of meat veal is. First of all, it falls under the red meat category.  

It comes a calf, which is a young domesticated cow or a bull. (As a point of reference, beef comes from older cattle.) These calves are between 3 weeks and 6 months old, and weigh between 55 - 275lbs (25-125kg).

In most countries these calves are the bi-product of dairy industry. As they can’t lactate and aren’t used for breading, male calves comprise most of the meat sold for consumption.

In color this type of meat ranges light to reddish pink. It’s smooth on touch, a tiny bit sour in taste, and has very little fat.

Lighter colored meat is considered tastier and it comes form milk fed calves. Meanwhile the darker meat comes from grain fed calves.

There is some controversy concerning milk fed calves as some farms feed the animals iron deprived milk to achieve the lightest pink.

What to eat this dish with?

Anything: rice, pasta, polenta, cous cous, baked or mashed potatoes. 

And also everything: a combination of the above.

Or even nothing: it’s a great meal by itself and you don’t necessarily have to add anything. 

Pro Tips!

Pan searing (or searing) is a technique that helps seal meat juices inside. The meat is first cooked at medium to high temperatures until a brown crust forms, and then finished off in the oven, or added to a sauce.

Button mushrooms, cremini and portobellos are all one and the same mushroom. However, each is picked at a different growing stage.

What’s in a name? Button mushrooms are also called champignons, table mushrooms, as well as cultivated or common mushrooms.

Looking for more veal recipes? Here are a few:

• Cutlets in Red Wine 
• Paté 
• Bamija: Veal and Okra Sauce 
• Shank Roast 

Finally, if you make these veal medallions in creamy mushroom sauce I’d love to know! Leave a comment and/or a rating and remember to tag a photo #balkanlunchbox on Instagram. Prijatno (aka bon appetit)!

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