Recipe Based on one from Lidia Bastianich’s Lidia’s Italian Table cookbook
Excited to come across thick veal chops in the market the other day, I immediately began searching through my favorite Italian cookbooks for the perfect recipe. I found that very recipe in one of my Lidia Bastianich cookbooks entitled Lidia’s Italian Table. The recipe is for grilled veal chops served with a quick saute of spinach, cherry tomatoes and garlic–all finished off with a grating of Pecorino cheese and some fresh basil. I used this recipe as inspiration for our dinner, but made a few changes.
First, I marinated the veal chops for about an hour in chopped, fresh rosemary, garlic powder, olive oil and lemon zest. I sauteed the spinach and tomatoes with garlic like in her original recipe, but finished it off with a splash of tangy balsamic vinegar. As for the overall presentation, I decided not to top the veal chops with the saute and the cheese, I used the saute as the base for the chops; as for the cheese, I grated a bit onto the sauteed spinach before topping that with the perfectly grilled chops. (Thanks to my in-house grill master, Scott!) Oh what a treat this meal was.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
‘Veal Chops with Spinach & Pecorino Romano’
Ingredients:
- Recipe Based on one from Lidia Bastianich’s Lidia’s Italian Table cookbook** (but with some changes made…)
- 2 veal chops, each 1 ½ inches thick
- Salt and pepper
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- Garlic powder
- Olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 oz. baby spinach
- Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving
Directions:
- To marinate the chops, season each side with salt and pepper and a touch of garlic powder. Coat each on one side with the chopped rosemary and the lemon zest. Drizzle with oil and allow to marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Prepare a charcoal grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Allow the chops to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before grilling. Grill the marinated chops for 7-9 minutes per side, flipping once. Allow the meat to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
- For the saute, heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add in the sliced garlic and the halved cherry tomatoes; season with a pinch of salt and saute for 2 minutes. Add in the spinach a handful at a time until wilted, then add in additional spinach and cook until it is all wilted. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.
- Plate the spinach saute; grate the cheese over the saute, and top with the veal chops.
Tagged: cherry tomatoes, grilled veal chops, lemon zest, Lidia Bastianich, pecorino cheese, rosemary, spinach, veal, veal chops
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