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In the Kitchen:
Veal Milanese! Because it’s savory, sweet and oh, so versatile

Photo: Kayleigh Van Vliet Baig

The word Milanese means relating to, or characteristic of, the Italian city of Milan. I’ve never actually been to the city of Milan but I’ve heard it’s beautiful.

Veal Milanese is one of my favorite dishes. I mean, hands down, top five. If it were chicken, I’d probably go for it, too…a thin breaded cutlet, fried to golden brown — so delicious.

I’d probably get along fine in the city of Milan. They’re known for serving up Milanese cutlets the size of dinner plates. Another one of their famous dishes is Risotto alla Milanese; that’s another dish hard to say no to.

My favorite part about Veal (or Chicken) Milanese is you can serve it or top it with anything your heart desires. A chef I know always topped his with a simple mixed green salad. It added enough tang and texture to go along with the savory flavor and sweetness of the veal cutlet. My husband always prefers his in the form of a sandwich. If you’re not into any of that, you can serve it simple and plain alongside some of your favorite sides.

When picking up your veal or chicken from the butcher or the store, look for a thinner cut. If the cutlets are still on the thick side, you can use the pounding technique to get a thinner cutlet.

Veal Milanese with Mixed Green Salad
Serves 4-6

Photo: Kayleigh Van Vliet Baig

Ingredients
1 lb veal cutlets, thin
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
Vegetable or canola oil for frying
8 oz mixed baby greens or arugula
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt
Fresh ground pepper

• In a large skillet heat a 1/2 inch of oil to medium high heat for frying. While the oil is heating up bread the cutlets. In one dish combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder and dried oregano along with salt and pepper to taste, stir to combine. In another dish beat the two eggs well and season with a small amount of salt and pepper. Lastly, in a third dish place the flour and season it with salt and pepper as well. Bread the cutlets starting with the flour, (removing any excess), then the egg and last the breadcrumbs. Fry in the oil until golden brown on both sides. The cutlets are thin so approximately 1-2 minutes on each side, adjusting the heat as needed. Place on paper towels after frying to soak up any excess oil.

• For the salad, in a small bowl combine the vinegar, oil and mustard. Whisk to make a dressing, season with salt and pepper. Combine the greens, sliced shallot and cherry tomatoes along with half of the dressing. Toss well to combine. Add more dressing if desired.

• Place a cutlet on a dinner plate, top with a handful of salad being sure to include some of the shallot and tomatoes. Drizzle with more dressing or a little olive oil if desired. Enjoy!