bakin' and eggs

68 Days of Gourmet: Day 62

Regardless of whether you want to make this dish – you MUST scroll down and read the recipe. I guarantee you that you have never read anything like it! My in law’s were so thoughtful to give me a copy of the July 1946 issue of Gourmet for Christmas this year (knowing about the 68 Days of Gourmet project).

The style of the old issue is so interesting. All of the recipes are written into stories. I’ve so enjoyed reading through it!

I picked a few recipes from the magazine to make during the last few days of the project. This Veal Scallopine sounded good and I just couldn’t get over the way the recipe was written. I had to share. I think you’ll be very surprised to find that the recipe calls for cream of mushroom soup. I generally avoid buying “cream of” soups but had to make an exception for this recipe. Also, I originally was going to make this with veal but couldn’t find it at our local grocery and in the end wasn’t comfortable purchasing it anyway. I read online that pork tenderloin is a good substitute so I decided to go that route.

I sliced the pork tenderloin on a diagonal into rounds and then pounded it thin. I think it was a perfect substitution for the veal. It became so tender during the slow cook.

Overall, this recipe was very good. The only change/alteration I would recommend is reducing the salt. The chopped olives in the dish and sherry stirred in at the end really added a lot to the overall flavor. A fun throwback from Gourmet!

Veal (or Pork) Scallopine
(Recipe source Gourmet, July 1946)

*Note – this is how the original recipe was written. I had fun following it! Take into account that this was part of a special boating section.

Believing that beef and steaks and things, barring fodder for stews and such, will continue to be scarce, stringy, bony, and tough, lets’ turn to a simple yet delicious veal scallopine – for veal’s not tough and never cheats you with many bones. Pound veal steaks firmly but evenly with wood mallet, flat of chef’s knife, or dinghy paddle, until about 2/3 original thickness. Trim out sinews, membranes, and gristly bits, and cut into serving size before cooking. Dredge with flour. Heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil in Dutch oven on top of stove. In center of this put 1 level teaspoon of fresh-made garlic salt – tossing the rubbed-down nubbin of the garlic clove in also, to fizzle for a few moments before casting overside. When salt is lightly brown, put in your veal steaks. brown lightly golden on both sides. Now cover with canned cream of mushroom soup until meat is hidden. Toss in 4 bay leaves, a handful of chopped ripe olive meat, 1 tablespoon minced pimento. Step up with hand milled black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire, 1/2 teaspoon of origanum (the wild marjoram so beloved by all Mediterranean chefs), sweet marjoram, or basil – rubbed between palms. (Buyable under my friend Pat Winter’s House of Herbs label in all good stores, or write House of Herbs, Juniper Hills, Canaan, Connecticut, for her complete listing of hers, wine vinegars and all such.)

Go up on deck and sip your cocktail with the guest who matters most, simmering veal very slowly the while, with cover on tightly. (Use an asbestos disc if stove tends to be too brisk.) When veal is tender as a lovely lady’s sigh, top off by turning in 1 tablespoon of sherry for each 2 servings. Stir up sauce well and toot your dinner horn. A cold bottle of Gret Western sauterne, or perhaps one of Meier’s fine Sadusky Island sauternes from Ohio; or, as we happen to prefer with Italian type foods like this, a red (served cool, not cold), Louis Martini’s Nappa Barbera, a fruity lusty thing beloved in the Italian Piedmont, or his Sonoma Zinfandel, which when grown in higher altitudes gains a delicate softness and charm.

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