We call this recipe Chuletas de Terneta Guisada, or Stewed Veal Chops. This is where we get into semantics. Some in my family, especially the older crowd, called it Chuletas de Ternera en Caldo, which literally translates as “Veal Chops in Broth.” Now, a broth, to me, is like a thin soup. In this recipe the veal is poached or cooked in beef stock, with the addition of a little Puerto Rican rum. So, I stick by my moniker of Stewed Veal Chops.

Whatever you call it, it makes for a hearty veal dish. Which is another contradiction in terms since veal is considered such a fine meat. You usually see it in veal scaloppine, where the veal is pound thinly before cooking. This is not scaloppine. This is veal loin chops cooked in beef stock. Back on the block, the usual accompaniment to this dish was rice. But you can serve it with any grain of choice or even over pasta. This time we served it with herbed potatoes.  With a  light red wine, such as a Bardolino, Barbera or Beaujolais, it hits the spot. If you’re choice is a white, then a Sauvignon Blanc or Chablis will do. Hell, whatever you want to drink with it is okay. In our clan we don’t stand on formality.

CHULETAS DE TERNERA GUISADA
(Stewed Veal Chops)

Ingredients:

6-8 loin veal chops (1½ to 2 pounds total weight depending on size of chops)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup beef broth or stock
2 ounces dark rum
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

1. Season veal chops with salt, pepper and oregano.
2.  Heat butter in a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Add chops and brown quickly in butter. Add beef stock and rum. Lower heat and simmer slowly for 9-10 minutes, or until desired degree of doneness. Garnish with parsley and serve. If you want to be fancy about it, you can arrange veal on a serving platter, garnish and serve.
   Yield: 4-6 servings

This is a dish that came to our culture via Spain. To my parents generation and their forebears, Spain was considered La Madre Patria, the mother country. The Spaniards had ruled the Caribbean since the time of Columbus, so it’s natural that such influences would continue in Puerto Rico even after the Americans took over the island in 1898. Ternera con Jerez reflects that view since Jerez, the fortified wine from Andalusia, makes up the main component to this recipe.

Initially when we made this dish, we did not add cream. The dish is flavorful enough as it it, but if you want an even richer rendition, then add the cream. As noted below, it’s optional.

The recipe calls for one veal cutlet, cut into 4 segments. Sometimes you may find  smaller individual cutlets and you can substitute those, as long as they are at least 3 ounces each.

TERNERA CON JEREZ
(Veal with Sherry)

Ingredients:

1 large veal cutlet, about 1½ to 2 pounds, sliced into 4 pieces
4 tablespoons flour
Salt and ground back pepper taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
1½ teaspoons fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup chopped onions
1 cove garlic, peeled and minced
½ cup dry Sherry, preferably Fino
2 tablespoons heavy cream, optional
1 tablespoon chopped chives.

Instructions:

1. Pound veal pieces between 2 sheets of aluminum foil or waxed paper until ¼-inch thick or less. Combine flour, salt, pepper, oregano and thyme. Dredge veal in flour and shake off any excess.
2.  In a skillet large enough to hold veal pieces comfortably in a single layer, heat butter over medium heat. When hot, add veal and cook about 4 minutes on one side, then 2 minutes on the other side.
3.  Remove veal to a warm platter. Add onion and garlic to the skillet, and cook a few minutes until onion is soft. Add sherry and raise heat to medium-high. Scrap up particles from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Stir in cream, and as soon as the sauce thickens, pour over veal. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
   Yield: 4 servings.