Veal Roast with Rice Milk

17/11/2023

The veal roast with milk is a classic of Italian cuisine, but this variant calls for the use of rice milk. Here’s how you could prepare a veal roast with rice milk:

Ingredients

800 g of veal topside
500 ml of rice milk
1 onion
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 bay leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Meat or vegetable broth (if necessary)
Flour (optional, to thicken)

Preparation

Tie the meat with kitchen twine to maintain its shape during cooking.
In a pot large enough to hold the meat, heat a drizzle of oil and brown the topside on all sides until well-golden, which will help to seal the juices inside the meat.
Add the chopped onion to the pot and let it fry until it becomes translucent.
Pour in the rice milk, add the rosemary and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover with a lid, and cook for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. If necessary, add some broth to maintain the liquid level during the cooking.
During the cooking, turn the meat occasionally and make sure the rice milk does not reduce too much. If the sauce reduces too quickly, add more broth.
Once the cooking is finished, remove the meat and let it rest wrapped in aluminum foil.
If you desire a thicker sauce, you can remove the rosemary and bay leaves and blend the cooking juices with an immersion blender. If needed, you can also thicken the sauce with a bit of flour dissolved in cold water, stirring it into the cooking juices and letting it simmer until it reaches the desired consistency.
Slice the meat and serve with the cooking sauce.

Curiosity

Milk roast is a typical preparation of some Italian regions, such as Emilia-Romagna. It is said that the natural acidity of the milk contributes to making the meat particularly tender and that the milk, combining with the meat juices, creates a delicate and satisfying sauce. Using rice milk, you will achieve a lighter and sweeter sauce compared to the traditional one, which is well-suited to those who avoid animal products.