Veal cordon bleu
A BBQ, meat and cheese. Talk about perfection…
What’s Dutch or Belgian about a cordon bleu? The original recipe is accredited to either the famous Parisian culinary school or a Swiss chef, so that’s not it. Is it because we eat a lot of them, then? Maybe a little but no! The link here is the veal, a product for which the Dutch are renowned around the world.
The ingredients:
(serves 20-30)
- 1 whole veal striploin (about 9 lbs / 4kg)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 20 slices young matured Boerenkaas
- 20 slices pork shoulder
Walnut & rocket pesto
- 5⅓ oz (150g) rocket
- 1 bunch chives (about 25g), finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 7 oz (200g) walnuts
- 6¾ fl oz (200ml) sunflower oil
- 4 tbsp hazelnut oil
Mustard Molasses Sauce
- 17 fl oz (500ml) jus de veau
- 2 tbsp coarse mustard
- 2 tbsp molasses (available at our webshop)
Gear:
- Food processor
- BBQ with cover for indirect grilling
- 2-3 oak wood chunks for smoking (2 x 2 inch pieces), like Smokey Goodness Oak Chunks
How to make:
Duration: prep 30 minutes
Cooking about: 1½-2 hours
To make the walnut & rocket pesto, combine all ingredients except the oils in a food processor and blend until smooth. Once smooth, add the oils while still blending and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Prepare a BBq for indirect grilling and heat to 180 °C (356 °F).
Use a knife to remove any fleeces from the veal striploin. Place the meat fat side down and make a cut about an inch above the fat, across the entire striploin. Take care not to cut all the way through. Fold open the striploin so the surface is doubled in size. Season with salt and pepper and brush with the walnut & rocket pesto. Layer on the cheese and ham, then roll back the striploin to its original shape. Take 11 pieces of butcher’s string about 2 feet long each. You’ll need a BBQ buddy for the next bit: gently lift the meat and tie a piece of string in the centre across the entire striploin. Use a double knot and make an extra loop to ensure it stays put. Repeat for both ends of the meat, about 1½ inch from the edge. Finally, use the rest of the string to tie the meat into a roulade.
Place the wood chunks amidst the hot coals and place your roulade on the BBQ grate. Cover and smoke for about 1½ hours, until the core temperature reaches 52 °C (126 °F). Let rest for ten minutes before cutting.
Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the mustard molasses sauce in a saucepan and bring to a near boil. Serve with the roulade.
