Veal

Veal is the meat of calves, in contrast to the beef that comes from older cattle, and most of it comes from male dairy breed calves that cannot be used for breeding and would otherwise be surplus to a dairy operation. In Canada, calves destined for milk fed veal are typically slaughtered at 20 to 24 weeks of age, weighing 200 to 230 kilograms, and the meat is generally priced higher per unit weight than beef from mature cattle. It holds delicacy status in Italian, French and Mediterranean cooking, prepared as cutlets such as cotoletta and Wiener schnitzel, escalopes and braised dishes, and calf bones are also used for stock while calf stomachs supply rennet for cheesemaking; veal production remains ethically contentious because of animal welfare concerns tied to traditional confinement practices.