Slow-roasted breast of veal with roasted onions

Serves 4-6

Unusual cuts like breasts and hocks are back. And so they should be. We need to give the butchers a bit of a chance with the less popular cuts and allow the prime cuts a bit of a break. High demand for the prime cuts also pushes up prices, as they don't get much for the rest of the animal. Many of these overlooked cuts, which are often minced and diced instead of being appreciated whole, are delicious if they're slowly cooked as a pot roast, and need hardly any supervision while they're cooking.

Unusual cuts like breasts and hocks are back. And so they should be. We need to give the butchers a bit of a chance with the less popular cuts and allow the prime cuts a bit of a break. High demand for the prime cuts also pushes up prices, as they don't get much for the rest of the animal. Many of these overlooked cuts, which are often minced and diced instead of being appreciated whole, are delicious if they're slowly cooked as a pot roast, and need hardly any supervision while they're cooking.

1 piece of boneless breast of veal, weighing about 1.5-2kg
2tbsp vegetable oil
A few sprigs of thyme
A few sprigs of rosemary
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large red onions, peeled and quartered, or 20-30 button or flat Italian onions, peeled
60ml white wine
250ml chicken stock
A good knob of butter

Pre-heat the oven to 160ºC/gas mark 3. Remove any excess fat from the veal, leaving about 1-2cm on as this will melt and keep the joint moist during cooking.

Heat the vegetable oil in a roasting tray on the stove, season the veal and seal it on all sides, giving it a golden colour. Add the herbs and garlic to the pan and roast for 11/2 hours with a lid on, or covered in foil, basting occasionally. Add the onions to the pan and cook for another hour covered, basting and turning the onions.

Remove the veal from the roasting tray and keep warm. Add the wine to the tray on a medium heat on the stove top and stir in the onions. Add the stock and simmer rapidly for a few minutes until it has reduced and thickened, then add the butter and stir well. The onions should be just coated and glazed in the liquid.

Slice the veal into generous chunks on to a serving platter and spoon the onions around. Serve with mashed root vegetables and sprout tops.