Excerpted from The Scarpetta Cookbook, © 2013 by Scott Conant. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Recipe Serves: 4 to 6

A Note from Chef Conant:

In this recipe, veal roast, preferably with its fat cap still on, gets coated with a bold spice rub that includes star anise, smoked paprika, and Szechuan peppercorns. It then gets deeply and darkly seared before finishing in a low oven, which keeps the delicate meat from drying out. I’ve made this exact same recipe with pork loin, but it just doesn’t compare to the regal texture of tender veal.

ingredients for spice-crusted veal rib eye:

• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon whole Szechuan peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 1 1/2 teaspoons
• cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika (pimentón)
• 2 whole star anise or 1 1/2 teaspoons ground
• 1 (3- to 4-pound) veal rib eye roast, trimmed but with the fat cap left on, and tied
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 5 or 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 5 or 6 cloves garlic, peeled

instructions for spice-crusted veal rib eye:

1. In a small skillet, toast the crushed red pepper, Szechuan peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, smoked paprika, and star anise over medium heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a spice grinder and grind finely.
2. Coat the veal well all over with a thick layer of the spices. An easy way to do this is to spread the spices out on a rimmed baking sheet and roll the roast in the rub, tamping the spices on so they stick. Let the veal sit at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. (Remove the veal from the refrigerator about a half hour before roasting).
3. Heat a convection oven to 250°F or a conventional oven to 275°F. If you have a flattop griddle large enough to accommodate the whole veal roast, heat that over medium-high heat. If not, cut the roast in half so it can fit into a large skillet and heat the skillet. Add enough olive oil for a light coating. Season the veal all over with salt and sear it until well browned on all sides. Transfer to a roasting pan or a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle about 1/4 cup olive oil over the meat and add the thyme and garlic to the pan. Finish cooking the roast in the oven, basting the veal occasionally, until it registers 135°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast, about 50 minutes. Transfer the roast to a cutting board and let it rest in a warm place for 15 minutes before slicing it into thick slices.

Special note:

Which wine? Choose a wine with soft tannins and a core of spices, like a pinot nero from northern Italy. These wines, though less fruity than new world pinot noirs, always possess fragrant layers of red cherries, cinnamon, and cloves, which will provide superb aromatics for the veal.