Veal spider steak is one of those slightly "secret" cuts that I love for my recipes: not the most well-known, but frankly top-notch for flavor. It's incredibly tender meat, with that natural marbling that makes all the difference when seared over high heat.
The first time I cooked it, I understood why butchers sometimes keep one for themselves: because it's so easy to eat!
My recipe remains very classic: a short cooking time in a pan, a good butter to baste, and a quick sauce deglazed with white wine then enlivened with lemon.
Nothing complicated, but you have to pay attention to two details: a nice hot pan to brown without "boiling", and letting the meat rest to keep the juices in.
For the side dish, I'm sticking with a "bistro" style recipe , using a seasonal medley: asparagus and peas, just crisp, with a touch of mint for freshness. It adds green, natural sweetness, and perfectly balances the richness of the veal.
If you make the recipe your own, play mainly with the cooking time (more or less pink) and the acidity of the juice: add a squeeze of lemon, or make it milder.
But always keep this idea in mind: sear, baste, deglaze, reduce. That's where all the magic happens!
Veal spider steak with asparagus and peas
4
people17
minutes28
minutes392
kcal45
minutesA recipe for veal spider steak , quickly and perfectly seared, pink in the center, with a pan-fried medley of peas and asparagus, and a light lemon jus. Simple, vibrant, and incredibly flavorful: it all comes down to the heat and allowing the meat to rest.
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Ingredients
600g of veal spider steak (in 4 pieces)
350g of green asparagus
250g of fresh shelled peas (or frozen)
1 shallot
1 garlic clove
12 cl of dry white wine
18 cl of chicken stock
25g of butter
1 tablespoon of neutral oil (grapeseed or sunflower)
1 lemon (finely grated zest + half the juice)
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 small handful of fresh mint
Fine salt
Freshly ground pepper
Preparation steps
- Remove the veal spider steak from the refrigerator 10 minutes before cooking. Dry it thoroughly with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Prepare the vegetables: snap off the fibrous ends of the asparagus, then cut them into 3-4cm pieces, keeping the tips whole. Finely chop the shallot. Mince the garlic. Chop the mint.
- Bring a pot of water to a simmer and add a little salt. Blanch the peas for 2 minutes (1 minute if they are very small), then drain. In the same water, blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes. Drain. (The goal is to start cooking them without making them mushy.)
- Heat a large frying pan (or sauté pan) over high heat. Add the oil, then 15g of butter. When the butter is foaming, place the spider crab in the pan without packing it down.
- Sear for 2 minutes on the first side, then 2 minutes on the second. Lower the heat slightly and baste the meat with the foaming butter for 1 minute, tilting the pan. Aim for a pink center: the meat should remain tender to the touch.
- Transfer the spider crab to a warm plate. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 6 minutes (this is non-negotiable if you want it juicy).
- While the mixture rests, keep the pan on medium heat. Add the shallot and stir for 1 minute. Add the garlic for 20 seconds, just to infuse it with flavor.
- Deglaze with white wine, scraping up all the browned bits. Let it reduce for 2 to 3 minutes until the alcohol smells less strong.
- Add the stock, mustard, finely grated lemon zest and the juice of half a lemon. Let it reduce for another 4 to 5 minutes: you want a thick, slightly coating sauce.
- Add the asparagus and peas to the pan. Sauté for 3 minutes to warm them through and coat them. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, then remove from the heat. Add the remaining 10g of butter to thicken the sauce, then stir in the chopped mint.
- Slice the veal spider steak against the grain. Return the meat (and its juices) to the pan for 30 seconds, just to glaze it without cooking it further.
- Serve immediately: vegetables at the bottom, spider crab slices on top, and the lemon juice over the top.
📊 Nutritional Information
1 serving (approx. 320g)
| Nutrient | Value |
|---|---|
| Calories | 392 kcal |
| Proteins | 41g |
| Carbohydrates | 14g |
| including sugars | 6g |
| Lipids | 17g |
| including saturated fatty acids | 7g |
| Fibers | 6g |
| Sodium | 520mg |
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin B3 | 58% AJR |
| Vitamin B12 | 92% AJR |
| Vitamin C | 38% AJR |
| Minerals | |
| Iron | 26% AJR |
| Zinc | 44% AJR |
| Phosphorus | 52% AJR |
* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance
📝 Notes
If you find the veal spider steak in one piece, keep it whole to sear, then slice it after resting: you will have much juicier meat!
And if your pan is sticking, it's often because it wasn't hot enough when you tried to sear the food.
💡 Chef's Tips
The key is heat! You need a very hot pan to start with to brown quickly, then let it rest for 6 minutes. If your sauce is too acidic, add a small knob of butter to the recipe or 2 tablespoons of stock and reduce for 1 minute.
🔄 Variations
- Classic bistro version of veal spider steak: replace the lemon with 1 teaspoon of wine vinegar and add a little parsley instead of mint in the recipe.
- Spring and gourmet version of veal spider steak: add 80g of sliced button mushrooms, pan-fried for 4 minutes before deglazing.
