If your family eats meat, it won’t be long before your child should do the same.   And for whatever reason, I found introducing meat a bit of  a tricky one.  First of all, it just feels like it would be tough to chew.  I mean, am I the only adult that has trouble with meat sometimes? Secondly, I think we can all agree that there is literally nothing more disgusting than pureed beef.  Try the ‘baby food’ beef in the little pots- grey, flavorless and just YUCK.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t need a crystal ball to tell you that there will be months where the blender will be your new bestie and the beef is it’s number one victim. It will happen but it shouldn’t happen for long.  You, my friend, have options.  As soon as you stop pureeing EVERYTHING, as soon as you start to introduce more solid textures like rice and you can offer food that were merely mashed using back of a spoon, as soon as all that starts to happen, you can start offering soft meats.  Soft replaces the blender but it isn’t a fair trade and here is why: beef takes forever to soften.  It either needs to be marinated or stewed and both take a long time.  I should also clarify that this is pretty much true of all meats including old faithful chicken. Have no fear, I have a few tricks up my sleeve and Veal Cutlet Stew is one of them.

I don’t know where you fall on the old Veal dilemma but in my household, the qualification is providence.  We are your quintessential organic meat eating family.  If veal is still not your thing, I will say that mostly any cutlet will do.  And why do I insist that cutlets are the way to go? Basically, the meat will take much less time to soften if it is already cut thin and the results will be small enough for your child to eat from the get-go. To take it a step even further,  we are going to chop it up prior to cooking.  If that isn’t enough to entice your little one, we are also going to nestle those deliciously succulent pieces of meat in a perfect stew.

The stew I’m about to introduce you to is delightful.  It is sweet and savory and easy to assemble. Along with a couple of different onions and an apple, I suggest Jerusalem artichokes.  These little tubers (very unlike the green, standard artichokes) are pretty ugly and unusual looking but they have some aspects that make them perfect for weaning. They are nutty, sweet and Jerusalem Artichokes add a little air of sophistication (why not right!).  That being said, if you want to forget them because you just aren’t that adventurous and you have no idea what I’m talking about, use potatoes.  Red ones are a good replacement because they keep their shape when you boil and boil some more.

Ingredients:

3 tbs + 1 tbs butter

340 grams (12 oz) veal cutlets

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

1 medium gala apple or similar, peeled and chopped

3 Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and chop ped

1 cup chicken stock

1/4 green peas

1 bay leaf

Preparation:

First of all, seal the deal.  Take the cutlets and cut them into bite size pieces.  In the meantime warm 1 tbs of butter in a pot over medium/high heat. when the butter is sizzling, add the veal and gently stir the meat.  This will help seal the meat and ensure that it retains a softness.  Take the veal out of the pot once it starts to brown.  Clean the butter from the pot and return to the heat.

Add the rest of the butter and once it melts add the onions, apples, Jerusalem artichokes and chicken stock.  One the onions have softened, about 5 minutes
, add the stock  and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.  Add the veal, peas and the bay leaf.  Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a loose-fitting lid.

Simmer for roughly 1/2 an hour or until everything is soft, the house smells delicious and the veal is waving the flag of meat introduction.