Hawaii's Share Your Table

What is Hawaiian Red Veal? It's a pinkish-red tender meat produced from calves that are 5 to 6 months old. These calves have just been weaned off their mothers and have eaten some grass on pasture land they have been allowed to roam. They have not been given any hormones or antibiotics; they are as natural as can be.

Traditional veal is the meat from young male calves, originally a product of the dairy industry. The calves were fed skim milk and penned up to restrict their movement and reduce the development of tough muscle tissue, resulting in meat that is pinkish white and tender. But in recent years, veal has been criticized by animal rights' groups because of the way they are raised.

Hawaiian Red Veal is a tasty and delicious alternative to beef, a natural product that's 100 percent Hawaii born and raised. No doubt Chef Alan Wong of Alan Wong's Restaurant and The Pineapple Room will add his signature style to this new product, as will Chef Ed Kenney at Town and Downtown. Tango Chef Goran Streng will probably do some Swedish meatballs, and Poke Stop's Elmer Guzman is going to be cooking up a mean veal burger.

If you're visiting the neighbor islands, check out the veal preparations at Merriman's on the Big Island and Maui. Mauna Kea Beach Resort and Kona Village on the Big Island and the Fairmont Kea Lani on Maui are also on tap for some great veal dishes.

Home cooks can find ground veal at R. Field at Foodland Beretania and Kailua on Oahu. No, you probably won't be able to find that veal chop or osso buco, but early taste tests of the ground veal indicate that this is probably the best part of Hawaiian Red Veal. Veal burgers and meatballs are outstanding; use it in place of ground beef in any preparation.

Hawaiian Red Veal is being offered by the Hawaii Cattle Producers Cooperative Association, a member coop of 44 ranches statewide that oversees transportation, marketing and other services of interest to the beef industry. The product will be available til the end of June, then again in the Fall of 2009. Get some while it's in season!