If you’re reading this, you likely know that we take our food very, very seriously at Italy Segreta. It’s not uncommon to find us dissecting recipes and arguing about the optimal variety of tomato, or what the best way to cook broccoli is. And of course, when it comes to the infinite and minute variations on classic Italian dishes, the atmosphere at the office can get downright heated. In order to settle it once and for all, we’ll be taking the time to workshop and taste-test beloved recipes from Italy’s different cities and regions, in the aim of agreeing on the one, ultimate, reigning recipe. We’re not saying this is the most historically accurate or traditional way of cooking these recipes–there are plenty of other places you can go for those methods–this is just our highly opinionated editorial board’s collective favorite way. Approved by both the Italian and international contingents.
Don’t call it “schnitzel” nor even “cutlet”, for in Milan, the “costoletta” (or “cutuleta”) is nowhere close to either of these: the meat is strictly veal, on the bone, two fingers high, breaded in egg and breadcrumbs, and fried in clarified butter. Some prepare it “ad orecchia di elefante” (as an “elephant’s ear”), pounded so that it becomes very thin and quite large. The hallmarks of a great costoletta are these: tender meat that still has a slight pinkness on the inside; an unmistakable scent of butter; and a crunchy, golden crust, double breaded and that adheres well to the meat, without falling off in clumps. It should be cooked in a pan, not in a fryer, and breaded on the spot. It’s a bit of a process to put together, but they’ve been doing it here since 1134… So if ancient Italians could make it without all the mechanics of a modern-day kitchen, we believe that you can too.
COSTOLETTA ALLA MILANESE
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
- 4 veal chops, bone-in (make sure your butcher doesn’t remove them)
- 3 large eggs
- 235 g (~1 1/2 cups) breadcrumbs
- 88 g (~1/2 cup) clarified butter (also known as ghee, easily found in Indian grocery stores)
- Salt and red wine vinegar, to finish
PREPARATION
- Trim the chops, removing the line of silverskin that surrounds the muscle and any chunks of meat or fat on the outside of that silverskin line. Using a meat tenderizer (flat-bottomed cups and rolling pins also work!), lightly beat the chops until they are uniformly 0.5 cm (0.2 inch) thin.
- Prepare your breading station: beat eggs lightly with a whisk in one large bowl or shallow dish, and place breadcrumbs in another. Season both with salt and pepper.
- Dip the veal chops in the eggs, keeping the bone dry, and then pass both sides of the veal chops through the breadcrumbs, pressing lightly with your hands to make sure the crumbs stick to the meat in a uniform layer. Repeat this step once more if you want them double breaded (you do).
- Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add chops and fry on each side until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per side. When you flip, take some of the fat with a spoon and pour it over the bone.
- Place cutlets on paper towels to absorb excess butter, sprinkle with salt (and red wine vinegar, if desired), and serve.
