Ground Veal substitute

Substitutes for Ground Veal with ratios

1. 2Half ground pork, half ground turkey or chicken thigh

   Close match

   Use the same amount total, split evenly

   The closest imitation of veal's specific contribution, because the poultry supplies the pale colour and neutral flavour while the pork supplies the fat and bind.

   What changes

   Best for

   meatballs, meatloaf mix, Italian wedding soup meatballs, veal-free Bolognese

   Use thigh meat, not breast, or the mixture will be dry and grainy. Mix the two grinds together thoroughly before adding them to the rest of the recipe so you do not get pockets of pork fat. This blend is what most cooks land on after trying single substitutes.

2. 3Ground turkey (dark meat, 93/7 or fattier)

   Different texture

   Use the same amount

   Very close to veal in mildness and pale colour, but leaner and drier, so meatballs can end up firm and slightly chalky rather than tender.

   What changes

   Best for

   meatballs, meatloaf, lighter Bolognese, when veal is off the table for ethical reasons

   Add one tablespoon of olive oil per pound, and do not skip the panade if the recipe includes one. Avoid 99 percent lean turkey breast entirely for this purpose. Cook ground turkey to 165F, which is higher than the temperature you would take a veal-and-beef meatball to, so keep the meatballs small so the outside does not dry out first.

3. 4Ground chicken

   Different texture

   Use the same amount

   The mildest option of all, closest to veal in flavour, but it grinds into a soft, almost pasty mixture that can make meatballs feel dense and gummy rather than light.

   What changes

   Best for

   meatballs, meatloaf, soup meatballs, stuffed shells

   Chill the mixture for 30 minutes before rolling, handle it as little as possible, and add breadcrumbs rather than fresh bread if the mix is very wet. Ground chicken sold as a single sleeve is usually a mix of breast and thigh and works better here than pure breast.

4. 5Ground beef with a bread-and-milk panade

   Different taste

   Use the same amount ground beef, plus 1 slice of white bread soaked in 3 tablespoons milk per pound

   Straight ground beef makes the mixture firmer, springier and much more mineral, so a delicate veal meatball becomes a hamburger-flavoured one; the panade puts most of the lost tenderness back even though the flavour stays beefy.

   What changes

   Best for

   meatloaf, meatballs, Bolognese, when the store has nothing else

   Tear the crustless bread, soak it in the milk until soft, mash it to a paste, then work it in gently. Use 80/20 beef rather than lean. Be aware that in a recipe already calling for beef, pork and veal, using all beef makes the finished dish taste much less complex, which is the whole reason meatloaf mix exists.

5. 6Equal parts ground beef and ground pork (homemade meatloaf mix)

   Different taste

   Use the same amount total for the whole meat quantity, split evenly

   If your recipe calls for a three-way meatloaf mix and your store only sells beef and pork, this is the standard fix, and the result is a little firmer and considerably more savoury than the three-meat original.

   What changes

   Best for

   meatloaf, meatballs, Bolognese, Swedish meatballs

   Do not simply increase the beef, because beef is the component that firms the mixture up. Keeping pork at a full half maintains the fat and tenderness. Adding a whole egg and a panade compensates further. Ratios of 2 parts pork to 1 part beef work well if you want to lean towards the softer end.