This is one of our favorite dishes from the old classic French repertoire, essentially a big moist meatball served on a bone. According to legend, Pojarsky (or Pojarski), a favored innkeeper of Czar Nicholas, was made famous by his killer meatballs re-formed on a veal chop bone. Serve with a frond of blanched fennel.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 2
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
Step 2
In a frying pan, melt 2 pats of butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, shallot, and garlic and sweat for 4 or 5 minutes, or until soft. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Step 3
In a large bowl, combine the veal, porcini mixture, thyme, soaked bread, egg, and salt. Mix together with your hands. It’s wise to have a little hot pan on a burner, so you can cook and test a spoonful for flavor, then adjust the seasoning if needed.
Step 4
Divide the mixture in half, and shape each half into a ball. Flatten the balls a bit and then shape each one to look like a large chop. With a sharp knife, cut the caul fat in half, and wrap half around each “chop.” Finally, poke a hole at one end of each “chop,” and stick a bone into each hole.
Step 5
Drop the remaining 2 pats of butter onto the bottom of a large cocotte or other heavy ovenproof pot. Carefully lay the “chops” side by side in the pot. Place in the oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, basting with the butter every 4 or 5 minutes, until sizzling and fragrant, and the caul fat has melted down.
Step 6
In the meantime, bring a small pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the fennel and blanch for 2 minutes.
Step 7
When the veal is ready, toss the fennel in the cooking fat. Bring the cocotte to the table and serve at once.
