Rose Veal FAQ

Rose Veal FAQ

What is Rose Veal? In the UK, what we refer to as “Rose Veal” is called “Rose Veal”.  UK farmers looking for a more humane way of producing veal developed Rose Veal, as the production of traditional milk veal was banned in the UK. In general, Rose Veal is meat that comes from a calf around 10 – 12 months old.

How is Veal raised? Veal, the light color, low flavor, very tender meat is produced from calves under 8 months old that have been on a diet restricted to milk and little to no fiber and iron. Veal, traditionally, has been the product of dairies that separate their calves from their mothers early so the cows can be milked. The calves are then raised on a bottle. Often, the movement of Veal calves is restricted to small pens or hutches. Veal calves are usually raised to the age of 16 – 18 weeks of age before they are processed.

How is Rose Veal raised?  Calves we raise for Rose Veal are left with their mothers and raised on pasture along with the rest of the herd. The additional fiber and iron in their diet produces red meat associated with beef.

Can I substitute Rose Veal for Veal in recipes? Yes, the only difference would be a more beefy flavor.

What is the difference between Rose Veal and SHF regular beef? The biggest difference is tenderness. The Rose Veal is much tenderer than beef from our older calves.

Why does Rose Veal cost more than regular beef? Mostly due to scarcity, Rose Veal tends to be more expensive than beef. Also, processing costs are only slightly less than processing a larger beef and the yields are lower.

Is Rose Veal inhumane? No. A calf raised for Rose Veal lives the same life as our calves raised for beef. Commercially, a beef calf can be slaughtered as young as 14 months old and still be called beef. A Rose Veal calf is only slightly younger. One advantage of raising calves for Rose Veal is that the bull calves do not have to be castrated, which can be stressful for the calf and farmer alike.

What makes Sarver Heritage Farm Rose Veal special? Our system of managing cattle and raising calves is perfectly suited to raising Rose Veal. We allow our cows and calves to wean naturally. The cows typically wean their calves around 10 months old. Sarver Heritage Farm is already producing high quality grass fed/finished beef. Sarver Heritage Farm Rose Veal has the same flavor as our regular beef (maybe slightly milder tasting). So far, it has proven to be leaner, while being less chewy. And unlike Veal/Rose Veal from dairy breeds, beef breeds provide more meat.

Is Sarver Heritage Farm Rose Veal available all year round? One reason we think of Rose Veal as “Rose Veal” is that it is only available in the spring. Due to calving schedule and age restrictions, Rose Veal from our farm is only processed from March through May.

Can I get a Side or Whole Rose Veal? Absolutely, one of the advantages of ordering a Side or Whole is you get to decide how it is cut.