A couple of years ago, our niece, Katie, gave John Brigit Binns’ The Cook and the Butcher for his birthday.  It quickly became our go-to book for cooking meat and creative side dishes because every recipe we’ve tried from it has turned out great.  When I was a kid growing up in Italy, Cotoletta alla Milanese was my favorite meat to order when we went out, so I was thrilled to find a recipe for Veal Milanese in Brigit’s book.  To make it even more special, when I contacted Brigit for special permission to feature her recipe on my blog, she agreed!
If you’ve never had Veal Milanese before, I encourage you to try it. Â It’s very thinly pounded veal cutlets coated in cheese and bread crumbs pan-fried in olive oil and served with a spritz of fresh lemon juice. Â It’s not at all difficult to make, but is so flavorful, tender, and delicious. Â We served it with pasta in a creamy sauce with ham, mushrooms, and peas.
Veal Milanese
Brigit Binns' "The Cook and the Butcher" is one of our most-used cookbooks. Everything we've made from it turns out perfectly. This childhood favorite of mine is no exception.
Ingredients
- 2 bone-in veal rib chops, each 7 - 8 oz (220 - 250 g) and ¾ = 1 inch (2 - 2.5 cm) thick
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- ⅔ cup (1oz,/30 g) panko bread crumbs
- ⅔ cup (2½ oz./75 g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 large egg plus 2 large yolks
- ¼ cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) olive oil
- 4 tablespoons (2 oz./60 g) butter
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place in a very low oven to warm.
- Season the chops on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Spread the bread crumbs and grated cheese on separate plates.
- Whisk the eggs in a wide, shallow bowl.
- Place a 12-inch (30cm) frying pan over medium heat
- When it is hot, add the oil and butter.
- Working quickly, bread the chops according to the directions below.
- Pounding Bone-In Chops. Trim off most, but not all, of the surface fat from the rounded side of each chop. Sandwich each chop between two pieces of plastic wrap. With the flat side of a meat mallet, pound the meat gently, working outward, away from the bone - and being careful not to pound the bone. Pound the meat until it is an even thickness of about ¼ inch (6mm). Pat both sides thoroughly dry with paper towels. This step may be done up to 2 hours ahead. Refrigerate the chops, covered, until 10 minutes before cooking. Before breading the chops, season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Breading the Chops. Place a clean piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Spread the bread crumbs and grated cheese on separate plates. Place the beaten eggs in a wide, shallow bowl. Dredge a chop first in the cheese, shaking off the excess. Dip in the eggs, making sure the chop is well coated on both sides, then let the excess drip back into the bowl. Place the chop in the bread crumbs, press down to coat the shop with the crumbs, turn, and press again. Set the breaded chop aside on the plastic wrap. Repeat to coat the remaining chop. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the breaded chops and press firmly so that the bread crumbs adhere well. Gently remove plastic wrap.
- Cooking Tips. To achieve the best results when cooking the chops or other breaded meat, make sure that the butter-oil mixture or other cooking medium is hot before dredging the meat. If the chips are dredged too soon, the coating will be soggy and gummy. To test the temperature of the butter-oil mixture, add a large pinch of the bread crumbs to the pan. It the butter-oil mixture is hot enough, the crumbs will sizzle gently. Cook the chops or other meat in a large frying pan and arrange them in a single layer. When cooking many pieces of meat, use 2 large frying pans to avoid crowding.
- Copyright: 2011, Brigit Binns, Williams-Sonoma, Weldon Owen
We served this with pasta in creamy sauce flavored with mushrooms, peas, ham and Parmesan cheese which is another childhood favorite of mine. Â We also make this sauce and serve it over Cheese Tortellini for a quick weeknight meal with crusty bread.
Cellentani with Parmesan Bechamel Sauce, Ham, Mushrooms, and Peas
Once you make a Bechmel Sauce, you can stir your favorites into it to create a wonderful pasta sauce. This is our favorite version.
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Cellentani (or other short pasta)
- ½ cup (1 stick) Butter
- ½ Onion, finely diced
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 6 ounces White Button Mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups Milk
- A pinch of freshly ground Nutmeg
- Salt and Pepper, to taste.
- 6 ounces minced Ham
- 1 cup Peas (you can use frozen, but not canned)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Prepare 1 pound Cellentani according to package directions.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter, then saute the onions and mushrooms.
- When Onions and Mushrooms soften, sprinkle flour over them.
- Slowly whisk in 2 cups Milk - ½ cup at a time.
- Stir frequently until sauce thickens.
- Add a pinch of freshly ground Nutmeg and Salt and Pepper, to taste.
- Stir in Ham and Peas (you can use frozen, but not canned)
- Continue stirring until Ham and Peas are heated through.
- Then stir in Parmesan Cheese.
- Drain cooked pasta and stir into sauce.
- Let stand about 5 minutes before serving to allow sauce to thicken.
- Serve with lots of grated Parmesan Cheese.
And to round it out, we served a light, crisp Mosby Cortese wine.
Buon Appetito!
Â
As always, Susan, your Veal is exquisite and the Cellentani with Parmesan Bechamel Sauce, Ham, Mushrooms, and Peas so, so a Susan-special pasta. A wonderful meal for you and John (and, me if I was there). Brigit is quite the professional, writes fabulous cookbooks and runs a very good cooking school in Paso Robles. I took classes last year but, unfortunately have chosen not to attend any this year. Just too difficult – the back-and-forth driving demands, no libations ‘cuz of driving, which is such a great part of her evening. However, I am cooking more and more from The New Wine Country Cookbook, her latest effort. Love that book and am so happy that you featured Brigit on your Blog.
Great photo of Pasadena City Hall, one of my favorite spots!
I love this recipe, it sounds fabulous – next time we buy veal I’ll have to try it!
This is one of my favorite dishes, as well, yet I have never made it. Once again, you are inspiring me, Susan! Happy weekend!