Another Italian-themed main dish here at Saturdays with Frank. I definitely cook Italian more than any other cuisine – I like the flavors, I’m comfortable with the techniques, and always have the basic ingredients on hand. During the week we veer toward the healthier, Mediterranean side of things, with more fresh vegetables and fish, less pasta and cheese. But for a date night at home I pull out all the stops. This Milanese-style Veal Saltimbocca would be right at home on the menu of a special occasion Italian restaurant, one of those dark and shadowy places with murals on the walls, thick white tablecloths and a wine list the size of an encyclopedia.
Prosciutto, melty cheese, and fresh sage are the components that make a dish a Saltimbocca. Milanese refers to the preparation: light breading and a quick pan-fry forming a crunchy crust to envelope the tender, thinly-pounded veal.
A fussier way to prepare this dish would be to wrap the raw veal cutlets with the prosciutto, with the cheese tucked in between, before dipping and breading them – making them into tidy packages encased in breadcrumbs. I skip all that and just pan-fry the veal, then add the toppings and run them under the broiler. When it’s exposed to the heat of the broiler the prosciutto will shrink and curl up – at first I worried about this but I needn’t have. Turns out the prosciutto creates a crusty-edged, prettily-ruffled cup to hold the melted cheese and the sage-infused butter drizzled on top.
Pasta is an ideal side for this Veal Saltimbocca Milanese. The same sage butter that tops the veal makes a delicious and simple sauce, so make a double batch of the butter if you’re serving pasta.
Making this ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- Flour and pound the veal at least 2 hours before you want to start cooking, or up to the night before.
- For the best, crispiest crust on the veal, serve this dish immediately after it emerges from the broiler.
- Although the crust will soften, this veal makes great leftovers. Reheat them in a 300 degree oven just until they’re heated through and the crust is revived. (The microwave would make the crust soggy and the veal rubbery.) Serve with more of the sage butter, alone or over pasta, or tucked into a grinder roll for a great hot sandwich.
Here are a few other Italian main dishes from the Saturdays with Frank archives:
- Pasta Catherine
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Rosemary Pork with Crispy Prosciutto
- Chicken Parmesan with Fresh Summer Tomatoes
- Caprese Salad with Grilled Balsamic Chicken
- Margherita Pizza
- Grilled Caesar Swordfish Sandwich
- Chicken Piccata
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Four Cheese Chicken and Mushroom Lasagna
- Hamburger Pizza-Style Rigatoni
- Cannelloni
- Chicken Marsala
To see this Veal Saltimbocca as part of an Italian-themed menu, complete with a game plan with timing for all steps, read the post for Saturday January 9, 2021.
Veal Saltimbocca Milanese
Start at least 2 hours ahead, or earlier in the day.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound of veal cutlets
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 6 fresh sage leaves
- 1 cup neutral, refined oil such as expeller-pressed canola oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups plain dry breadcrumbs
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 4 to 6 thin slices of prosciutto (as many pieces of prosciutto as you have pieces of veal cutlet, 2 to 3 ounces)
- 8 ounces Fontina or whole milk mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
Directions
- Step 1 Spread the flour on a plate and season it with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt if using Diamond Crystal brand, or ½ teaspoon of Morton’s, plus ½ teaspoon of pepper. Sprinkle a cutting board with a thin layer of the seasoned flour. Place one piece of the veal cutlet on the flour and turn it over the coat with flour on both sides. Cover the veal with a sheet of plastic wrap and use a meat pounder to pound the veal until it’s as thin as you can get it without tearing it. Remove the plastic and dunk the veal in the seasoned flour again, giving each side a thin, even coating. Transfer the veal to a baking sheet and sprinkle it with kosher salt. Repeat with the remaining cutlets. Chill the veal uncovered for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Reserve the remaining seasoned flour.
- Step 2 Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the sage leaves and heat the sage leaves in the butter for 5 minutes. Then set the butter and sage aside while cooking the veal.
- Step 3 Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Heat the broiler on high. Line a large baking sheet with foil and keep it next to the stove. Crack the eggs into a large shallow bowl and beat them just to blend. Combine the dry and panko breadcrumbs on a plate. Set up your dredging stations in a line next to the stove: breadcrumbs closest to the stove, eggs next, and flour last.
- Step 4 Test the oil to make sure it’s ready, by dropping in a panko breadcrumb – if it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready. When the oil is ready, take one piece of veal and dredge it in the seasoned flour again, coating both sides with a thin layer and shaking off the excess. Dip the cutlet in the eggs, then the breadcrumbs, coating both sides evenly. If the pieces of veal are small enough that two pieces can fit in the skillet at the same time without crowding, dip and coat a second piece of veal, otherwise work with one cutlet at a time. Carefully slide the cutlet(s) into the hot oil. Cook the cutlet(s) to a deep golden brown on the bottom, about 1 minute, then carefully turn using tongs and cook 1 minute on the other side. Use the tongs to remove the cutlet(s) to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cutlets, cooking in batches without crowding.
- Step 5 Drape one piece of prosciutto over each cutlet. Top the prosciutto with the cheese, dividing it evenly and arranging the cheese to cover as much of the prosciutto as possible. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven on a rack in the upper third, and broil until the prosciutto is crispy around the edges and the cheese is melted and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. While the veal broils, reheat the sage butter over low heat.
- Step 6 Transfer the cutlets to plates or a platter and pour the sage butter over the cutlets, using the sage leaves for garnish.
