Delft Blue ground veal

At Delft Blue, we have been putting the Beer Burger Challenge recipes onto www.vealrecipes.com and we have been getting positive feed back.

BUT, the one thing that everyone is asking is what did Delft Blue do to the ground veal:

What kind veal did you use in the ground mixture?

• Did you season it?
• What was the fat content?
• Was it fresh or frozen or does that matter?
• Where can I get ground veal?

So here are the answers so that you can create the great tastes we experienced with the up and coming Chefs of Liaison Colleges courtesy of Steam Whistle Beer.

What kind veal did you use in the ground mixture?

Steam Whistle’s profile is that of a golden-coloured Bohemian Pilsner is characterized by a floral hop aroma, sweet graininess with distinctive grassy notes, and balanced by a clean, crisp finish and pleasant lingering bitterness and when the Delft Blue Culinary team started, they first thought that we would only use Milk Fed Veal (MFV). After a few attempts, we realized that for the best summer grilling we needed to add some body to the MFV flavour profile.

In Ontario, we have two kinds of veal on the market. Milk Fed with a fine texture and taste that is a great canvas for chefs to showoff their flavouring skills and Grain Fed Veal (GFV) which has slightly bolder flavour and colouring. When we combined these two in a 50/50 blend we realized that this complimented Steam Whistle better than pure MFV.

The Ontario Veal Association website at www.ontarioveal.on.ca has the nutritional information on both products.

Did you season it?

NO… We did not have to add a single flavour enhancer, all veal has a flavour profile that easily accepts the flavourings a chef wishes to deliver to his diners.

We wanted to give the chef a product that he can showoff with.

It is also important to know that veal is antibiotic free when it is arrives on the plate and our animals never receive any growth hormones.

Milk Fed Veal is given a diet of HAACP facility manufactured, food grade milk replacers.

Balanced nutrition and good eating habits are a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle.

Veal is a quality protein delivering essential nutrients for your health and vitality.

• High in vitamin B12: helps maintain a healthy brain and nervous system to promote optimum mental performance.
• High in iron and zinc: key minerals needed for healthy red blood cells and oxygen transport helping to prevent fatigue. Zinc status is especially important as we age because of its role in boosting the body’s immune system.
• High in protein: crucial for building and repairing tissues. Protein is an important building block for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood.
• Low in saturated fat

According to Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating, it is recommended to eat two to three servings of meat and alternatives per day and preferably lean alternatives.

Veal is an ideal choice for today’s health conscious consumer, the healthcare industry and even for baby food.

What was the fat content?

• Under CFIA guidelines; “Lean” has to have a fat content of between 12 and 15%. The ground veal provided to the contestants in the Steam Whistle/Delft Blue Veal Burger Challenge was at the minimum 85% “LEAN” rating.
•  This 85% lean ground veal provided the moisture and other organiliptic qualities needed to create the dynamic tastes delivered by the challengers.

Was it fresh or frozen or does that matter?

• When the young Challengers were doing their testing prior to the face-off at the Delft Blue Corner Farm they used fresh frozen ground veal. At the face-off they we provided with fresh ground product.
•  When we asked these aspiring taste makers and their chef mentors; if fresh versus frozen made a difference the answer was a very clearly stated “No it does not make a difference”! One of the Chef Mentors did say that if you prepared the recipes and then froze the burgers for future cooking you might see a change in the flavour profile.

Where can I get ground veal?

• Ground veal products are available in most retail stores and regional fine food stores.
• Ground veal products are available under various private retail label brands.