Roasted Veal Chops with Tomato

History

This recipe is printed in La Mejor Cocinera, Recetas de Cocina, an anonymously authored Spanish home-cookery book issued by the Madrid publishing house Editorial (Saturnino) Calleja; the earliest firmly datable edition located is 1923. The book opens with a dedication "A las señoras," stating that the household's first cook should be the lady of the home "cualquiera que sea su posición social" (whatever her social position) — the volume presents itself as a practical manual for any household, not for a particular class. The dish itself is a grilled-chop preparation. The printed instructions call for a piece of veal containing the backbone and ribs, cut into individual chops. Unlike the book's mutton chops (which it says should be cut on the bias, no more than four from a rack), the veal chops are cut perpendicular to the axis of the spine, taking care to keep "la parte de la envoltura" (the surrounding covering of the bone). The chops are seasoned, laid close together on a clean grill, held over the fire for about a quarter of an hour while being turned and basted with manteca (lard), and once done are arranged on a platter and served with a tomato sauce. Beyond its appearance in this book, the historical record does not document a specific regional origin, inventor, or social context for this particular dish.

Ingredients

• veal chops
• manteca (lard)
• tomato sauce
• salt

Instructions

1. Select a piece of veal containing the backbone and ribs. Cut perpendicular to the axis of the backbone to obtain individual chops, being careful to preserve the bone envelope and not cut at an angle (which would make them too large). Do not cut more than four chops from each rib section.
2. Season the chops with salt. Place them close together on a very clean grill. Hold them over the fire for about fifteen minutes, turning them and basting with manteca (lard) as they cook. When they are done, arrange them on a serving platter and serve with tomato sauce.