BROILED VEAL LOIN CHOP WITH EXOTIC MUSHROOMS, BACON, AND SHERRY
How to Cook Meat by Chris Schlesinger, John Willoughby
Serves 4
You're never going to go wrong with mushrooms and veal. In fact, if you were to research what other food veal has been most combined with in the history of human eating, we would take any bets that it would be mushrooms. Whenever we have veal and mushrooms together, we think of our friend Gordon Hamersley and his combination of mushrooms, bacon, and sherry in the justly famed mushroom sandwich he serves at Hamersley's Bistro in Boston. So this dish is our tribute to Gordon. With no cream and not too much butter, this is actually a little less heavy and rich than many veal dishes.
We like this with orzo or buttered fettuccine and Brussels Sprouts in Brown Butter.
FOR THE MUSHROOMS
• 4 slices bacon, diced small
1 red onion, peeled and diced small
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 pounds assorted exotic mushrooms of your choice (portobello, shiitake, cremini, chanterelles, enoki, etc., or substitute white mushrooms), trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup dry sherry
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh oregano (or substitute 2 tablespoons dried)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Four 10- to 12-ounce veal loin chops, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
1. Preheat the broiler on the highest setting.
2. In a large saute pan, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a small bowl and pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pan.
3. Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Add the onions to the bacon and set aside.
4. Pour any remaining bacon grease out of the pan, then melt the butter in the pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are moist throughout, 10 to 13 minutes (peek inside one to check). Add the sherry, bacon, and onions and continue cooking for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and toss with the parsley and salt and pepper.
5. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, oregano, and olive oil and mix well. Dry the chops with paper towels, coat them well with this mixture, and season them generously with salt and pepper. Place on a broiling pan and broil 3 inches from the heat source until well seared on one side, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and continue cooking to the desired doneness, 5 to 6 minutes more for medium-rare. To check for doneness, nick, peek, and cheat: Make a 1/4-inch cut in the thickest part of the meat; it should be slightly less done than you like it.
6. Allow the chops to rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then top with the mushroom sauce and serve.
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