Veal shoulder (French: épaule de veau) is the forequarter section from the front of the calf. It contains several muscles, connective tissue and some fat, giving it a rich flavour and making it useful for braising, stewing, roasting and selected sauté preparations. The exact muscles and trim depend on the supplier’s fabrication.
North American suppliers may describe veal shoulder as shoulder clod or divide it into blade, arm and other muscles. French butchery uses terms such as épaule, macreuse and collier for related areas, but these names do not always map exactly to one North American cut. Confirm the muscle, bone status and trim before ordering.
Shoulder is well suited to blanquette de veau, sauté de veau Marengo, stews and slow braises. It may be boned and rolled for roasting or cut into cubes for a stew. The appropriate method depends on the specific muscle and amount of connective tissue; tender sections may be sautéed, while tougher portions need longer cooking.
Example: use diced veal shoulder for blanquette de veau, or bone and roll a suitable shoulder section with herbs and forcemeat before roasting.
Bone-in shoulder, boneless shoulder and individual trimmed muscles have different yields and labour requirements. Ask the supplier for a cut diagram and specify the intended use, portion size, trim and whether the product is bone-in or boneless.
Chef’s tip: brown suitable pieces before braising to build flavour, but keep meat pale when preparing a classical blanquette. Record trim loss and cooked yield for accurate costing.
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