Cotoletta alla milanese
Milanese breaded veal chop
A cotoletta alla milanese begins with a rib chop from the veal loin, substantial enough to stay tender while its breadcrumb coat turns pale gold in butter. Its thin, oversized cousin, the orecchia d'elefante, has its admirers; this is the chop with the rib still attached.
The bread should cling in an even, coarse layer, without a floury undercoat or a heavy shell. Clarified butter gives the crust room to brown while keeping the flavor unmistakably Milanese.
Cut near the bone and the veal should be moist, the breading crisp rather than dark or greasy. It is served hot from the pan, with a light sprinkling of salt.
Ingredients
For the chops
- 2bone-in veal rib chops from the loin, about 1.5–2 cm (⅝–¾ inch) thick (see note)
- 1large egg
- about 80 gcoarse, plain white breadcrumbs, plus more if needed
- 150 gclarified butter, plus more if needed (see note)
- fine salt
Kitchen notes
- Bone-in veal rib chops
- Ask a butcher for veal rib chops cut from the rack or loin, with the rib bone attached. Boneless veal scaloppine, beef chops, and thinly pounded cutlets give different results. The target thickness is roughly the height of the rib bone; do not pound the chop into a wide, thin sheet.
- Clarified butter
- Clarified butter is butter with its water and milk solids removed. It tolerates the sustained frying better than whole butter while preserving the defining butter flavor. Use actual clarified butter, not margarine or an oil blend.
Method
Prepare the chops
- Pat the chops dry. Make a few shallow cuts through the strip of connective tissue around each outer edge so the meat will not curl. If one area is markedly thicker than the bone, tap only that area lightly with a meat mallet; keep the chops thick and attached to their ribs. Leave the meat and egg unsalted for now.
Bread them
- Beat the egg in a shallow dish. Spread the breadcrumbs in a second dish. Holding a chop by its bone, coat the meat on both sides in egg, then in breadcrumbs. Press with the flat of your hand until the crumbs adhere in a complete, even layer; leave the exposed bone uncoated. Shake off loose crumbs. Repeat with the second chop and cook promptly.
Fry in butter
- Melt the clarified butter in a heavy skillet large enough for one chop to lie flat. Heat over medium heat until it is hot and shimmering, without smoking. Fry one chop at a time, spooning hot butter over the thick meat beside the bone. Cook about 5–7 minutes on each side, adjusting the heat to keep the crumbs steadily sizzling and pale gold rather than dark brown. Add a little more clarified butter if the pan becomes dry. The crust should be crisp and golden and the meat near the bone cooked through but still juicy; cut into that thickest spot to check if needed. Transfer to a rack or paper towel and repeat with the second chop, removing any dark loose crumbs from the butter first.
- Salt the hot chops lightly on both sides and serve at once, while the breading is crisp.