As I’ve said before, I’m a big fan of the loin, rather than the rib, when it comes to veal.  This is the porterhouse of the veal, with the loin on one side of the T-bone and a small medallion of tenderloin on the other.  These chops must be cooked to exactly the right temperature or they risk being overdone and dry, or underdone and tough.

I always like to rub the chops with a bit of sage, garlic, olive oil and lots of black pepper.  This rub can be done several hours ahead.  No salt goes on until just prior to grilling–this meat is too delicate for advanced salting.

Once the grill is hot, the chops get seared for about 2 minutes per side (these are about 1 – 1/2″ thick), then moved to a less hot area of the grill for about 4 minutes.  The internal temperature should be around 120 – 130 degrees as soon as the meat comes off the grill.  The chops should be allowed to rest for about 5 minutes prior to serving.

I’ve chosen to serve my chops off the bone and sliced steakhouse-style with the perfect accompaniment of pureed spinach.   They could also be served on the bone with a salad (one of my guests doesn’t like pureed spinach and doesn’t like the bone removed).

To start, we’re having a bowl of pasta with pesto (the pesto is courtesy of my neighbor, Beppi).