Veal

Chicken cacciatore is a ubiquitous dish in Italian-American restaurants, but we think it is even more delicious when made with veal shoulder roast. Slowly braising the meat in a heady tomato sauce enriched with pancetta, olives, and porcini produces a dish so good, you'll find yourself sneaking nibbles all the way to the table. It's even better the next day—if you can contain yourself.

(Salade Tiede aux Oeufs en Meurette) Two grand bistro classics meet here: the frisée aux lardons salad with a poached egg, and oeufs en meurette (poached eggs in a red-wine sauce). Frisée, with its slightly bitter flavor and sturdy but delicate texture, stands up beautifully to the rich, concentrated sauce and the warm poached egg.

Quick-cooking scallopini are perfect for breathing new life into busy weeknights. And the brown butter doesn't hurt either.

At La Côte Basque, this dish was originally served with an extremely rich cream sauce, but when Jean-Jacques Rachou took over in 1979, he reimagined a lighter version, one with pan juices and crème fraîche. It plays up the nutty, earthy morels beautifully.

We were bowled over by Miraglia Eriquez's mother's method for grilled breaded chops—it truly combines the best of both worlds, with the crumbs toasting and crisping up while taking on a hint of smoke. Meanwhile, the meat inside couldn't be juicier. A light, peppery salad gives the chops a freshness that tastes just right at a cookout.

This dish is a summery variation on the Northern Italian pairing of tomato-braised ossobuco and saffron-flavored risotto. Here the delicious classic combination is lightened up with orzo and wilted grape tomatoes.

We're all for those simple dishes in which every ingredient tastes radiantly of itself. Sometimes, though, we're reminded of how ingredients can become even more special from their interaction. This veal preparation is definitely one of those reminders — you don't taste cheese or anchovy or wine or butter, just gorgeous meat with a green freshness from the spinach. You'll want some good crusty bread to soak up every last drop of the incredibly flavorful sauce.

Enlivened with crisp water chestnuts and fresh cilantro, these delicate Asian-inspired veal and pork meatballs are a world away from their Italian counterpart — but they're just as moist and irresistible.

While this impressive roast cooks, it slowly transfers flavorful juices to the moist potato-and-onion stuffing tucked inside. Once the breast has been cut from the bone, it yields beautiful slices ideal for drizzling with the lush pan sauce.

The hearty pork stew known as cocido is eaten all over Spain but varies from region to region. This one comes from Liébana, the westernmost part of Cantabria, where it's traditionally served in stages—beginning with the broth and fideos (fine pasta) and followed by the meat, chickpeas, and cabbage arranged on a large platter. We prefer to eat it all together, as the broth lends a nice moistness to the other elements.

Food editor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez got the idea of using egg fettuccine in place of lasagne noodles in this deliciously over-the-top lasagne from Mary Ann Castaldi, the mother of her college roommate, who would send her daughter back to school with a giant pan of lasagne after weekends at home.

Sweet sun-dried tomatoes and earthy black olives enliven thin veal slices with the vibrant flavors of a sunny coast.

Make this filling ahead of time; it freezes well and you'll have enough to create four batches of Alan Tardi's delicate <epi:recipe link="" id="235965">agnolotti</epi:recipe>.

Terrine de Campagne The straightforward character of this terrine reminds us of the words of Richard Olney, an influential American cookbook writer and editor who rusticated in the French countryside for almost 50 years. "A simple terrine," he wrote in his Simple French Food, "is never so good as when prepared in the easiest possible way, all of the ingredients of the composition mixed, pell-mell but intimately, together."

This recipe is adapted from Argentine chef Francis Mallman. Mallman also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. There's little Argentines love more than a good milanesa — that irresistible combination of pounded-out beefsteak (or sometimes chicken) breaded, sautéed, and served up with a lemon wedge. As the name implies, the milanesa originally hails from Milan, where it's known as cottolette alla milanese, and is perhaps the city's most familiar — and exported — dish. Among its many far-flung cousins are Wiener Schnitzel and chicken-fried steak. In Argentina, arriving Italians adapted their beloved recipe to the country's endless supply of beef. Ever the mischievous traditionalist, Francis Mallman returns milanesa to its source. "If I were to serve this in Buenos Aires," Mallman admits, "people might say, 'What is this?' It's a milanesa from Milan, that's really what it is."

We are happy to announce that Emily Connor has won our October "Cook the Cover" contest with her delicious variation on Emeril Lagasse's grillades. Emily Connor explains her variation:
Some of the most memorable recipes are those that combine the best of both worlds: In this case, Southern comfort food and classic Italian. The addition of crimini mushrooms, fresh thyme, and rosemary imparts the "hunter-style" (or cacciatore) while preserving the authenticity of the grillades. A few other changes — a simplified version of the spice rub, elimination of several dried herbs, and the use of olive oil and balsamic vinegar — streamline the recipe without sacrificing any of the flavor. As a twist to the dish, try serving with cauliflower purée. Not only does it complement the flavors and nicely soak up the braising liquid, but it's a great way to highlight the freshest of fall ingredients.

Gael Greene shared these recipes with Epicurious from her new book, Insatiable. To learn more about Greene, read our Q&A. This meat loaf started life as a meatball recipe in the Times.

We've lightened traditional meatballs with veal and added Mediterranean accents to achieve a bright, springtime flavor. Chicken broth and matzo meal take the place of milk and bread crumbs to keep the meatballs exceptionally tender.

An adaptation of Viennese butterschnitzel, these individual meatloaves are incredibly moist and juicy.

As its name implies, this dish was once thought to be worthy of a blue ribbon. Over the years, however, in its overly meaty interpretation at numerous hotel restaurants and wedding receptions, it lost some of its original delicacy. Here, we make the veal and the layers of cheese and ham much thinner, which results in a truly refined version that's not too heavy — and that's equally suitable for dinner parties and simple family suppers.

This recipe serves 4 as a main course after you set aside half of the veal shanks and sauce to make Eggplant and Veal Pastitsio . Otherwise it serves 8. If you will be making the pastitsio, the reserved shanks will give you an extra marrowbone for each serving of braised shanks.

We all have memories either of great or terrible meatloaf meals from childhood. My mom's meatloaf is a fond food memory. It was always moist and juicy, with a touch of Italy from the tomatoes and pecorino Romano cheese. It also passed the test of any respectable meatloaf: it made good sandwiches the next day.