Roast Veal Marinated In Buttermilk

The veal should be firmly tied with string. The butcher should not trim off much of the fat; if veal is very lean, lard in six or eight places with strips of bacon. Place veal in a deep close-sided bowl and cover completely with buttermilk.

Marinate for 4 or 5 days. After 2 to 2 1/2 days, pour off original buttermilk and replace with fresh.

Heat oven to 450 degrees F.

Remove marinated veal and dry very well with paper towels, removing as much buttermilk as possible. Sprinkle meat on all sides with salt and pepper. Place a rack in an open roasting pan and cover with 3 or 4 slices of bacon. Set roast on top of rack; add butter and ham trimmings to pan.

Roast meat in preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, turning once or twice so that it will be golden brown on all sides. Baste or brush with melted butter from pan, every 5 to 6 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and put 2 or 3 strips of bacon over top of meat. Add prepared vegetables and herbs. Continue roasting, allowing about 30 to 35 minutes per pound or until a meat thermometer reaches 175 degrees F (Insert thermometer after meat has browned).

Baste with pan drippings every 15 to 20 minutes. If vegetables seem to brown too quickly, add a little water to pan from time to time so they will not burn.

Remove finished meat to a heated platter and take rack out of pan. Pour off all but 2 to 3 tablespoons of fat from roasting pan.

Set pan on stove over low heat. Sprinkle in flour and blend into fat. Simmer, stirring constantly, over low heat 4 or 5 minutes, or until flour just begins to turn golden brown.

Pour in milk or cream, all at once, and bring to a boil 2 or 3 times over low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping all the coagulated pan juices into gravy so it will be a rich brown color.

Strain into a clean saucepan, pressing through as much gravy as possible. If a great deal seems to cling to vegetables, pour a little extra milk or cream through sieve and work gravy into pan.

Taste gravy, adding salt and pepper as needed, and a little white wine if you care to. If gravy seems too thick, a little more milk or cream can be added. Heat thoroughly before serving.