0Browning meat before you cook it does not seal in the juices but does change the flavor
by caramelizing proteins and sugars on the surface. Since meat has no sugars other than the
small amounts of glycogen in its muscles, we usually add sugars in the form of marinades
or basting liquids that may also contain acids (vinegar, lemon juice, wine) to break down
muscle fibers and tenderize the meat. Browning has one minor nutritional drawback. It
breaks amino acids on the surface of the meat into smaller compounds that are no longer
useful proteins.
Heat changes the structure of proteins. It denatures the protein molecules, which means
they break up into smaller fragments or change shape or clump together. All these changes
force water out of protein tissues, which is why meat gets dryer the longer it is cooked. In addi-
tion, heat denatures the pigments in meat, which combine with oxygen and turn brown.
As the veal continues to cook, its fats oxidize. Oxidized fats, whether formed in cook-
ing or when the cooked meat is stored in the refrigerator, give cooked the meat a characteris-
tic warmed-over flavor. You can reduce the oxidation of fats and the warmed-over flavor by
cooking and storing meat under a blanket of catsup or a gravy made of tomatoes, peppers,
and other vitamin C–rich vegetables—all of which are natural antioxidants.
An obvious nutritional benefit of cooking is that it liquifies the fat in the meat so that it can
run off. And, of course, cooking makes veal safer by killing Salmonella and other organisms.
How Other Kinds of Processing Affect This Food
Freezing. When you thaw frozen veal it may be less tender than fresh veal. It may also be
lower in B vitamins. While the veal is frozen, the water inside its cells turn into sharp ice
crystals that can puncture cell membranes. When the veal thaws, moisture (and some of the
B vitamins) will leak out through these torn cell walls. The loss of moisture is irreversible.
Freezing can also cause freezer burn, the dry spots where moisture has evaporated
from the surface of the meat. Waxed freezer paper is designed specifically to hold the mois-
ture in meat.
Freezing slows the oxidation of fats and the multiplication of bacteria so that the veal
stays usable longer than it would in a refrigerator. At 0°F fresh veal will keep for four to eight
months. (Beef, which has fewer oxygen-sensitive unsaturated fatty acids than veal, will keep
for up to a year.)
Medical Uses and/or Benefits
Adverse Effects Associated with This Food
Increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Like other foods from animals, veal is a source of
cholesterol and saturated fats which increase the amount of cholesterol circulating in your
blood and raise your risk of heart disease. To reduce the risk of heart disease, the National
Cholesterol Education Project recommends following the Step I and Step II diets.
Veal