Recipe for: Veal sweetbreads braised in dark beer with dried blueberries - photo 1
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Recipe for: Veal sweetbreads braised in dark beer with dried blueberries

Spicy Valentine's Day Main dishes 180 min Medium 0 views ~15.60 PLN * - (0)
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Description

Braised calf's liver in dark beer with dried blueberries is a warming, aromatic main dish that combines tender veal with the depth of dark beer and a slightly sweet-sour note from dried blueberries. The dish features a spicy, rich sauce made with a vegetable base (mirepoix) and a creamy touch of butter at the end, giving it a velvety texture. It is an ideal choice for a Valentine's dinner on a cooler evening — beautifully presented on a plate with a fresh addition of summer berries or seasonal grilled vegetables. Visually, the contrast of the dark sauce and red-purple blueberries creates an elegant, rustic plate. The dish pairs well with roasted buckwheat, celery puree, or young roasted potatoes, along with a glass of heavier red wine or the same dark beer as an accompaniment.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (18)

Servings:
4
  • Veal giblets 1200 g
  • Wheat flour 40 g
  • Rapeseed oil 30 g
  • Butter 50 g
  • Onion 2 pcs (~300 g)
  • Carrot 2.5 pcs (~200 g)
  • Celery root 150 g
  • Leek 100 g
  • Garlic 3 clove (~15 g)
  • Dark beer 500 ml
  • Chicken broth 500 ml
  • Dried blueberry 80 g
  • Fresh thyme 0.3 bunch (~30 g)
  • 🌿 Spices
  • Salt 6 g
  • Black pepper 4 pinch (~2 g)
  • Bay leaf 6.7 pcs (~2 g)
  • ✨ Optional
  • Fresh blueberry 100 g
  • 18% cream 50 ml
💰 Estimated dish cost: ~15.60 PLN (3.90 PLN/serving)
* Prices missing for some ingredients

💡 Click an ingredient to mark it as used

Preparation steps

Preparation

1

Prepare the ingredients: pat the veal shank dry with a paper towel. If there are large pieces, cut them into portions of about 300 g each, leaving the bone. Peel the vegetables: chop the onion into medium cubes (about 1 cm), slice the carrot into 5 mm thick rounds, dice the celery into 1 cm cubes, cut the leek lengthwise and slice it into half-moons. Peel the garlic and finely chop it. If the dried blueberries are hard, soak them in 50 ml of warm water for 10 minutes, then drain.

Ingredients: veal giblets, Onion, Carrot, Celery root, Leek, Garlic, dried blueberry
Use a cutting board with a non-slip surface and a sharp knife. Drying the meat is crucial — moist meat will not brown well. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh the ingredients after processing.

Frying

2

Sprinkle the veal shanks with salt and pepper on both sides. Dust lightly with flour, shaking off the excess. In a large, heavy cast-iron pot, heat the rapeseed oil over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer slightly, add the pieces of veal one at a time and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until a deep brown color appears. Do not move the meat too often — allow a crust to form.

Ingredients: veal giblets, Wheat flour, Rapeseed oil, Salt, Black pepper
It is best to use a cast iron pot with a capacity of 4-5 l. Use tongs to turn the meat to avoid piercing it and releasing the juices. If the meat sticks to the bottom, wait another minute — it should release on its own.
3

Remove the browned pieces from the pot and place them on a plate. In the same pot, add butter and possibly a bit of oil, reduce the heat to medium. Add onion, carrot, celery, and leek. Sauté for 6-8 minutes, stirring every 1-2 minutes, until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent and slightly golden. One minute before the end, add garlic and sauté briefly, being careful not to burn it.

Ingredients: Butter, Onion, Carrot, Celery root, Leek, Garlic
Use a wooden spoon or spatula for stirring. If the vegetables start to burn, lower the heat a bit and add 1-2 tablespoons of water.

Stewing

4

Put the veal shank back into the pot, arranging the pieces of meat so they lie loosely. Increase the heat to medium-high and pour in 200 ml of dark beer, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot (the deglazing process). Cook for 2-3 minutes until the alcohol partially evaporates and the flavors meld together.

Ingredients: veal giblets, Dark beer
Deglazing is key for the flavor of the sauce — scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Be careful of the steam when pouring cold liquid into a hot pot.
5

Add the remaining beer (300 ml) and chicken broth to the pot. Add thyme (sprigs) and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to very low so that the liquid just gently bubbles. Partially cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 2 to 2.5 hours, until the meat is very tender and starts to pull away from the bone.

Ingredients: Dark beer, Chicken broth, Fresh thyme, Bay leaf, veal giblets
Stewing should be done on very low heat or in an oven set to 150°C. Check the tenderness with a fork every 30 minutes — the meat is ready when the fork goes in easily and the meat separates easily.
6

20 minutes before the end of cooking, add the dried blueberries to the pot (if you soaked them beforehand, drain). Gently stir to distribute the blueberries in the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper — taste the sauce with a spoon and add according to your preference.

Ingredients: dried blueberry, Salt, Black pepper, veal giblets
Dried blueberries will soften during simmering and add a sweet and sour note. Season sparingly, as the beer and broth already have intense flavors.

Finishing and serving

7

Remove the meat to a warm plate and remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves from the sauce. Set the sauce aside for a few minutes; if you want a thicker sauce, skim the fat from the top with a spoon and reduce the sauce over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Before serving, whisk in the cold butter (50 g) into the sauce over low heat until the sauce becomes glossy and slightly thickened. If you are using 18% cream, add 50 g now and mix quickly.

Ingredients: Butter, 18% cream, veal giblets
Add the butter after removing from heat or on very low heat to emulsify the sauce and not break the structure. Whisk with a metal spoon or a silicone whisk.
8

Place a portion of tender shank on a plate, generously drizzle with blueberry sauce. Garnish with fresh blueberries (optional) and a sprig of thyme. Serve with toasted buckwheat, celery puree, or roasted young potatoes, along with grilled summer vegetables to add a seasonal touch.

Ingredients: veal giblets, fresh blueberry, Fresh thyme, dried blueberry
Serve the dish hot — you can warm the plates slightly in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to overdo the decoration with fresh fruits — they should enhance the flavor, not dominate.

Final tips

9

If the sauce is too greasy, chill it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, skim off the solidified fat, and reheat. The dish tastes even better the next day when the flavors meld — reheat on low heat with a little water or broth.

Ingredients: Chicken broth, dried blueberry, veal giblets
For reheating, use a pot with a thick bottom and keep it on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from burning.

Fun Fact

💡

In Polish cuisine, hocks (pork knuckles) are often braised in beer in regions where beer was easily available — dark beer adds a bitter, roasted note to dishes that pairs wonderfully with sweet and sour fruits, such as blueberries.

Best for

Walentynki Kolacja w chłodny wieczór Impreza dla miłośników mięsa i piwa

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve with roasted buckwheat, celery puree, or baked potatoes. For drinking, we recommend a dark beer of the same type used to braise the meat, or a full-bodied red wine (cabernet sauvignon, merlot). Garnish with fresh blueberries and a sprig of thyme for a color contrast.

🥡 Storage

Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Keep the sauce separate to prevent the meat from becoming soggy. To reheat, place the meat and sauce in a pot, add a little broth, and heat over low heat until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 75°C.

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