Beautifully prepared beef -- elegant Bacon-Wrapped Filets Mignons, tender Herb-Rubbed Veal Loin, old-fashioned Pot-Roast -- can be the showpiece of any meal. The idea of making such well-known dishes intimidates many cooks, however. But you will soon master these classic beef and veal recipes and many more with this book.

Williams-Sonoma Mastering Beef & Veal is a complete cooking course in single volume. The opening describes the different cuts of beef and veal, how to buy them, and how to trim them. You will also learn how to cook, season, and serve beef and veal, from readying your mise en place to expertly carving a bone-in roast.

Basic recipes and key techniques then illustrate dozens of indispensable culinary building blocks, such as how to prepare a stock or how to chop fresh herbs. Troubleshooting tips show you what can go wrong and how to fix it without having to start all over again. Next the master recipes lead you step-by-step, with friendly text and instructive photographs, through every step of preparation. These recipes include helpful advice other cookbooks assume you already know, and explain how to test beef and veal for doneness -- one of the most valuable kitchen skills any cook can master. The shorter recipes and variations in each chapter encourage you to continue practicing your newfound skills, building your repertory and confidence at the same time. Finally, a guide to equipment and a glossary of ingredients will help you stock your kitchen with all the essentials.

In these pages, you will find more than fifty classic recipes that tell you, in both pictures and words, how every dish you make should look and taste from beginning to end. Whether you are an aspiring novice or an experienced home cook, Mastering Beef & Veal will teach you all you need to know to prepare any beef or veal recipe with ease.