Veal is the meat from young calves, generally pure-bred male dairy cattle, and comes in various cuts including cheeks, escalopes, shin, shoulder, T-bone and tenderloin. Evidence suggest veal was eaten in ancient Rome and it has remained an important ingredient in Italian cuisine to this day; Italy now rears around 800,000 calves for veal every year. One of its most popular incarnations on Italian dinner tables is as a cotoletta, or breaded cutlet, but this collection of delicious veal recipes demonstrates that there are myriad ways in which to prepare this delicious, tender meat.

Veal is naturally lean, and its low fat content means it should be cooked carefully to avoid it becoming tough. Indeed, Marianna Vitale dispenses with cooking altogether, serving the meat raw in her beautiful Veal tartare starter recipe. Alessandro Gavagna slowly roasts the meat in his Veal shin with potatoes 'in tecia' recipe, while Giancarlo Perbellini opts for braising to produce incredibly tender results in his Veal cheek, potato purée and fried leeks.