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Variations: Add 1 medium turnip, peeled and diced, and 2 parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced, with the veal.

Add 2 teaspoons chopped oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried oregano with the cinnamon.

Reduce the broth to 1½ cups; add ½ cup red wine with the remaining broth.

Use beef broth for a heartier stew.

Creamy Veal and Onion Stew

The veal almost melts into the cream in this decadent stovetop stew, perfect over cooked and drained egg noodles. The stew must cook very slowly, just the barest simmer, so the veal gets impossibly tender. For an easier prep, use peeled frozen pearl onions right out of the freezer. Makes 6 servings

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

2½ pounds veal shoulder or leg meat, trimmed of all fat and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1½ cups chicken broth

1 cup dry white wine

1½ teaspoons stemmed thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, preferably white pepper

1 pound pearl onions, peeled

1 cup heavy cream

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven or very large saucepan. Add the veal cubes and cook, stirring often, just until they have a hint of brown but are very light in color, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and set aside.

Melt 2 additional tablespoons butter in the pan. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter, then whisk until smooth. Do not let the flour brown. The moment it’s smooth, slowly pour in the broth, whisking all the while.

Whisk in the wine in a slow stream, making sure there are no lumps. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, whisking all the while, until thickened, about 1 minute.

Whisk in the thyme, allspice, salt, and pepper. Return the pieces of veal and any accumulated juices to the pan. Bring to a simmer; then cover, reduce the heat to very low, and simmer slowly, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes.

Pour the cream among the onions, stir well, raise the heat to medium, and bring to a full simmer. Cook, stirring once in a while, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Pour into the pan with the veal.

Stir well, set the lid askew, and simmer very slowly, stirring once in a while, until the meat is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened, about 1½ hours.

Variations: Substitute 2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces, for the veal; reduce the broth to 1 cup and the wine to ½ cup. Simmer only 20 minutes before adding the cream and onions then only about 1 hour after adding it.

Substitute oregano or rosemary for the thyme.

Use beef broth for a heartier stew, vegetable broth for a lighter one.

Add 1 pound sliced cremini or white button mushrooms with the onions.

Stir in 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard with the cream.

Add 2 cups fresh shelled peas or frozen peas for the last 3 minutes of cooking.

Veal Meat Loaf Braised in a Tomato, Herb, and Wine Broth

This recipe requires that you move the meat loaf around after it’s been formed, so make sure you pat together a cohesive, sturdy loaf. If you can’t find ground veal, use a total of 1 pound lean ground beef and ½ pound ground pork. You can also buy a veal shoulder roast and ask your butcher to grind it for you—but do not grind the leg or chops because that would be simply too wasteful. Makes 6 servings

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 pound ground veal

½ pound 90% to 93% lean ground beef

½ cup fresh bread crumbs, such as from a day-old roll or 2 bread slices

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon minced oregano leaves or ½ teaspoon dried oregano

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 large egg, lightly beaten in a small bowl

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ pound white button or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup dry vermouth or dry white wine

12/3 cups canned diced tomatoes with their juice

1 cup beef