Veal Cuts

Veal Primal Cuts

Veal (calf meat) is butchered more like lamb than beef: the main sections are the shoulder, rack (rib), loin, leg, breast and shank. French butchery is especially rich in veal cuts — noix, sous-noix, quasi, longe, carré, tendron, jarret.

Milk-Fed Veal

Veal from calves fed only milk or milk formula, giving very pale, delicate meat. French: veau de lait or veau sous la mère. Grain-fed or rosé veal comes from older calves fed grain, with pinker, more flavourful meat.

Veal Leg / Cuisseau

The hind leg of the calf, divided into lean, tender muscles that are the source of escalopes, scaloppine and roasts.

• North America: veal leg; top round (inside), bottom round, knuckle (sirloin tip), eye.
• UK & Europe: leg of veal: topside, silverside, thick flank (cushion, under-cushion).
• French: cuisseau: noix, sous-noix, noix pâtissière, quasi, jarret.
• Best cooked: escalopes, schnitzel, roasts, osso buco (shank).

Veal Escalope / Scaloppine

A thin, boneless slice of veal from the leg, pounded flat between plastic film to an even thinness.

• North America: veal cutlet, veal scaloppine.
• UK & Europe: veal escalope.
• French: escalope de veau.
• Best cooked: pan-fried quickly — piccata, saltimbocca, Wiener schnitzel (breaded), escalope à la crème.

Veal Rack / Carré

The rib section of veal, sold whole as a rack or cut into rib chops; often frenched.

• North America: veal rack, veal rib chops, hotel rack.
• UK & Europe: best end of veal.
• French: carré de veau; côtes de veau (première, seconde).
• Best cooked: roasted whole, chops pan-roasted and butter-basted.

Veal Shank / Jarret

The calf’s lower leg. Cut across into thick rounds with the marrow bone in the centre, it is the cut for osso buco.

• North America: veal shank, osso buco cut.
• UK & Europe: shin of veal.
• French: jarret de veau.
• Best cooked: braised.