Yabba Dabba Do

I don't know what came over me yesterday but for some reason, 

I was in the mood for a fancy dinner.

Apparently, I was also in the mood for a laughably large hunk of meat, 

bone-in, in the style of Fred Flinstone:

Those giant meat sticks are veal chops from Ceriello.

With accoutrements of roasted grapes and blue cheese butter.

They were fantastic - all of it was - but then again, considering

that apparently veal chops cost a million dollars each, they should have been.

But still, if you're looking for a special occasion meal, you could do worse.

For the grapes:

Preheat the oven to 425. Throw a big bunch of red seedless grapes on

a cookie sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Roast for about 30 minutes, shaking the pan every so often.

In the end, the grapes should be wrinkly but still juicy. 

They're a great condiment for meat, salad (try with goat cheese and greens)

or cheese.

For the butter:

Mix about 1/2 a stick of softened butter, unsalted,

with about 2 ounces of blue cheese (the exact quantity varies 

based on your taste and how strong the cheese is.

For the veal:

Preheat the oven to 325. Rub the chops with olive oil then season

with salt and pepper. Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a large pan 

over medium-highish heat. Sear the chops until brown and a little crusty,

about three to four minutes per side. Place the whole pan in the oven

to finish - it should take 9 or 10 minutes. The meat will be slightly pink and soft.

I served the chops with roasted potatoes and a green salad with chevre toasts.

And there it was - a very Flinstonesy Hump Day dinner.