Veal Foot

An unsung hero ingredient, the veal foot is the king of culinary rheology (the study of the flow of matter). Almost devoid of meat, it is a pure mass of cartilage and bone. Plunged into a simmering broth for several hours, its hard collagen completely hydrolyzes into gelatin. It thus confers an incomparable "body," viscosity, and mirror-like shine to meat juices and noble sauces, avoiding the use of starchy thickeners (flour or cornstarch) that would dull the taste.