Physical Tenderizing

• From the tiniest lamb to the largest bull moose, every animal has groups of tender and tough muscles. The tender muscles are those that do little work during the animal's life -- supporting the backbone, for example -- while muscles that are used actively become tense, tough and filled with connective tissue. Aside from the gristly shank, most of a veal leg is only moderately tough. But slicing it thin and pounding it makes it much tenderer and more versatile. The physical impact of a meat mallet or other mechanical tenderizer forces the muscle fibers apart, severing their bonds and making them easier to bite through. These tender cutlets are frequently breaded and fried, but rolling them is a more versatile preparation.

Some Basics

• The thinly pounded pieces of veal retain the characteristically mild but rich flavor, while becoming thin enough and flat enough to wrap around fillings. Depending on the size of your scallops, this usually results in a roll about the size of a cannelloni. One to two can make a dinner-sized portion, depending how substantial a filling and how rich a sauce you choose to work with. As a rough guide, traditional recipes either use fresh, bright flavors to complement the veal's mildness; or rich fillings and sauces to emphasize its savoriness.

Bright and Fresh

• Veal lends itself to a variety of light fillings with fresh and intense flavors. You could simply season the surface of your scallop and brush it with olive oil, then roll it up with fresh herbs inside. Fillings of herbs with ricotta or fine cottage cheese are also common in European cuisines, or grain-based fillings with fresh herbs and aromatic vegetables. Saltimbocca, a famous Roman veal dish, matches the mild veal with a sheet of prosciutto and fresh sage leaves. It can be cooked flat, but it's just as common to roll it up and pan-fry the roll in some butter and Marsala.

Rich and Satisfying

• The addition of butter and the fortified wine adds richness to the bright flavors of the saltimbocca, but many other traditional recipes make richness their focus. The scallops might be stuffed with asparagus and served with hollandaise, or filled with mushrooms and truffles and served in cream sauce. Veal pairs surprisingly well with seafood, especially shellfish, and rolled scallops can be filled with lobster, crab, crawfish or langoustines for an especially luxurious dish. In general, any savory filling you've enjoyed with chicken, pasta or crepes can be adapted to a rolled veal scallop.