Today we will talk about a true “myth”: the cotoletta alla milanese (breaded veal cutlet). We all know it, but few have tried the real one, prepared according to tradition. Today we will unveil some secrets to prepare this Lombard speciality which has conquered the whole of Italy… and beyond.
1) Meat: veal cutlet.
Fans of the cotoletta alla milanese are tough to please: the dish must be prepared using veal cutlet from the sirloin including the bone. This is so for two fundamental reasons:
- It gives the cotoletta a particular aesthetic touch.
- It can be used as a “handle” to better manoeuvre while eating every inch of it.
2) Breading: homemade.
This speciality requires the most simple breading possible. To prepare it you will only need:
- Eggs
- Bread crumbs
If you want to prepare a cotoletta alla milanese worthy of its name, put aside salt, pepper, flour and, above all, ready-made bread crumbs. Doing it yourself at home will be quick and the cutlet will have a completely different taste.
You just need to cut fresh bread, put it in the oven and, once toasted, wrap it in a clean, dry cloth and chop it up finely with a pestle (avoid using the mixer, because you might end up with “bread dust” rather than crunchy small pieces).
Once this is done, the only thing left is to bathe the cutlet in whipped egg, let it drip and bread it well, not forgetting the edges and the bone.
3) Cooking the cutlet: fried in butter.
Ignore for a second diets and healthy eating: the cotoletta alla milanese must be fried in butter. It is precisely thanks to this last ingredient that the dish acquires a particular flavour that makes it far more tasty than simple breaded filets.
The only tip we wish to give you here is to use clarified butter. Since this type of butter does not smoke as much as the normal one, you will avoid it burning while frying the cutlets.
Once the butter has melted in the pan, wait for it to get hot and place the meat in the pan, previously making some cuts along the edge to avoid it curling. The cutlet should be fried on a medium flame and turned every so often. 10 minutes should be enough for a medium-sized cutlet.
Remember that the cotoletta alla milanese must be eaten as it comes out of the pan. Just let it dry a bit on absorbing paper, add salt and lemon and you are ready to dive in!
Dal Bolognese: excellence and tradition in the heart of Rome and Milan
The Emilian traditional cuisine is waiting for you in Rome and Milan with its most representative dishes: homemade fresh pasta and our mixed boiled meat dish, among other delicacies.
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