Milanese Cutlets: Veal, Chicken
A crash course in tenderizing, a master class in pan frying
The simplicity of this allows recipe to be a gateway cutlet. And using a fresh squeezed lemon to top- nature has already taken care of the sauce for you. All you need are some cutlets, a tenderizer (that hammer looking thing in the back of your drawer), and some breading ingredients.
Choosing Your Cutlet
Either veal or chicken will work here. But keep in mind, due to the quick pan frying we will want something that is thin enough to cook. While you could certainly cut thin slices yourself, grabbing what is typically labeled “veal scallopini” at the butcher, or “chicken cutlet” should do the trick. These tend to be thinner cuts, and without any of the DIY knife work at home, should give you exactly what you need.
Laying Down the Hammer- Tenderizing
Using the tenderizing mallet is a great way to get your cutlet soft, tender and ultimately easy to cut and eat. The force from the mallet will soften the meat fibers, especially in the veal.
But even for other cutlets, the tenderizer plays a very important role, which is flattening your cutlet to an even thickness throughout. If you have ever had your cutlets brown in certain spots, or curl in the pan leaving edges and the center cooked to various degrees- take a few swings with the hammer and ensure that it is flattened throughout.
Last but not least, the tenderizer also acts as that visual aid. The surface area of your cutlet is going to increase as it is flattened. The portions will look larger, but also this allows for more flavor in each bite as you get the crispy crust, the herb seasoning, and the tender meat across multiple bites.
The Frying- Start Dry, End Fried
This borrows heavily from our Chicken Parm pan frying, and is very simple: Canola or Vegetable oil, as it can get hot enough and not smoke. Flour, eggs, breadcrumbs, seasoned with a very fragrant Italian Herb Mix
The most important thing here is ensuring the cutlet is dry before beginning the breading process. If you don’t work with dry cutlets, you may notice your breading clumping or falling off in parts throughout the voyage in the frying pan.
A few pat downs with paper towels before cooking should do the trick.
Ready To Get Started?
This recipe can be made in advance- once the cutlets are cooked through, they can store in the fridge for a few days. Just keep them sealed or wrapped to prevent drying out.
What you’ll need
Serves 2-4 people
4 Veal or chicken cutlets, thin sliced
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1-2 eggs, whisked
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Italian Herb seasoning, salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying
2 lemons, halved
Lets Do This
Begin by taking the cutlets and on a flat surface, cover with cling wrap. Take your meat tenderizer and hammer the cutlets to an even thickness throughout. Flip the cutlets and repeat. Note the cutlets will expand under the pressure so leave extra space under the cling wrap
Remove the cutlets from the cling wrap and dry with paper towels
In 3 separate bowls place the flour (1), egg (2), and breadcrumbs (3). Season the breadcrumbs with the Herb mix, and the cutlets with salt and pepper to taste
In a shallow frying pan, add your oil and heat to a medium-high heat
Bread your cutlets, dredging in the flour first, moving to the egg, and lastly covering with the breadcrumb mixture. Cutlets should be entirely covered at this point
Repeat step 5 for all remaining cutlets, setting each aside as they finish
Add cutlets to the pan, 1-2 at a time ensuring not to overcrowd, and fry until golden crispy brown, 2-3 minutes per side. Flip and continue cooking the other side until similarly colored
Plate your cutlets, served alongside or atop a salad, and squeeze the lemon juice over the entire cutlet
Serve immediately. If prepping for later use, avoid squeezing the lemon on until serving
Want to cook some more cutlets? We have class for that!
Spice Shop
The full Sawce spice collection is now available in our spice shop. Gift boxes are available for all sets.
The @Sunday_Sawce Instagram
