Italy · Mains
Cotoletta alla milanese.
A bone-in veal chop, dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and fried golden in butter. Milan’s most famous dish.
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The story of cotoletta alla milanese.
The cotoletta is the pride of Milan: a veal rib chop, still on the bone, coated in egg and breadcrumbs and fried in butter. The name comes from “costoletta”, little rib, because the bone is part of the dish.
Milan and Vienna have argued for centuries over who invented it first, the cotoletta or the Wiener schnitzel. The Milanese have a simple answer: theirs keeps the bone, uses no flour and is fried only in butter. It is served simply, with a wedge of lemon.
Origin: Lombardy, Italy
Where to find the ingredients in the US.
- Veal: ask the butcher for veal rib chops, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, with the bone frenched. Boneless veal cutlets work for the thin version.
- Butter: clarified butter or ghee, found in most supermarkets, fries without burning.
- Breadcrumbs: plain, fine, unseasoned dry breadcrumbs.
Three steps. That’s it.
What each stage should look like.
Step 1
Pound the chop.
Gently flatten the meat around the bone to an even thickness.
Step 2
Egg and breadcrumbs.
Dip in beaten egg, then press firmly into the breadcrumbs. No flour.
Step 3
Fry in butter.
Fry slowly in plenty of clarified butter until deep golden on both sides.
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Recipe
Cotoletta alla milanese.
Prep 15 min · Cook 15 min · Total 30 min
Ingredients
- veal rib chops, bone in, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick
- large eggs
- fine dry breadcrumbs
- clarified butter or ghee
- salt
- lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Take the chops out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. With a meat mallet, gently pound the meat around the bone to about ½ inch (1.2 cm). Make 2–3 small cuts in the fat at the edge so the chops stay flat.
- Beat the eggs in a shallow dish. Spread the breadcrumbs on a plate.
- Dip each chop in the egg, let the excess drip off, then press it firmly into the breadcrumbs on both sides. Repeat egg and breadcrumbs once more, for the thick, crisp Milanese crust.
- Melt the clarified butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. It should sizzle gently when you add the meat, not smoke.
- Fry the chops for 5–6 minutes per side, two at a time, spooning butter over them, until deep golden. Veal is safe at 145°F (63°C) inside, followed by a 3-minute rest.
- Drain briefly on paper towels, salt only now and serve right away with lemon wedges.
Sources consulted: Gambero Rosso. Our own text, with US and metric measurements.
What you’ll need.
Meat mallet.
To flatten the meat evenly around the bone.
Heavy skillet.
A wide cast iron or steel pan keeps the butter at a steady heat.
Instant-read thermometer.
To check the veal is done without cutting it.
