Slow-Cooked Veal Chuck Tender, Caramelised Onion, Orange & Star Anise

. August, 2025
Slow-Cooked Veal Chuck Tender, Caramelised Onion, Orange & Star Anise

Pearl Pastures is doing veal differently…and deliciously.
Their rose veal is raised on whole milk and pasture, resulting in tender, subtly sweet meat with a low carbon footprint and a good conscience to match. It’s no wonder their rib cutlet took out Gold at the Outstanding Food Producer Awards.

Founder Alan McDermott says it best: “If you drink milk or eat cheese, you owe it to the calves to enjoy rose veal.” This beautifully balanced, slow-cooked dish celebrates exactly that – rich flavour, thoughtful farming, and the kind of comfort food that feels truly good.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons rice bran oil
800g veal chuck tender (shop meat here)
1 onion, julienne
2 teaspoons grated garlic
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
½ cup red wine
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Korean chili paste
juice and thinly peeled rind of 1 orange
2 whole star anise
3 cups brown chicken or veal stock
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons finely sliced spring onion

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 150°C. Heat the oil in a large casserole over medium heat, add the veal and cook for 5 minutes until browned all over. Remove from the casserole.

Add the onion and cook over a medium heat for 6-8 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, stir for one minute until fragrant, then add the remaining ingredients (except the sesame seeds and spring onion) and stir to combine. Bring to the boil then add the veal back in. 

Cover with a piece of baking paper and tin foil, then seal with a lid and bake. Carefully turn the veal once after 1 hour and cook for a further 1 hour or until the meat begins to fall apart.

Remove the veal, then strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan (reserve the orange zest for garnishing) press down on the remaining solids with the back of a ladle to extract as much flavour as possible. Bring the sauce to the boil and skim any fat from the cooking liquid. Simmer for 15 minutes until it reduces by half and becomes thick and syrupy.

Place the veal back into the reduced sauce and gently warm through.

TO SERVE: Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, spring onion and orange zest. Accompany with parsnip puree and black rice.


Shop Pearl Pasture products online: www.pearlveal.nz
Follow Pearl Pasture on Instagram: @pearlvealnz