Veal is the flesh of cattle that are too young and small to be sold as beef. These cattle are divided into vealers and calves. Vealers are animals under 14 weeks old that are fed with milk. Although calves eat grass or grain like older cattle, veal may not have as much flavor as beef. However, veal is typically more tender than beef. Veal contains more water and less fat than does beef.
In the United States, vealers and calves are sold by weight and according to five grades set up by the federal government. The U.S. grades are prime, choice, good, standard, and utility. The best grades of veal are plump, with meat ranging in color from light pink to light gray.
Calf flesh is darker and has more definite texture than vealer flesh. In addition, most calves have more fat covering than vealers. The meat of both calves and vealers has little trimming waste when sold in stores.
