Non-VegetarianLombarda cuisine Main Course

Cotoletta alla Milanese

Name: Cotoletta alla Milanese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Lombarda
Ingredients: 4 pieces bone-in veal rib chops; 2 pieces large eggs; 150 g Fine breadcrumbs; 150 g clarified butter; 5 g Fine sea salt; 1 piece Lemon

A classic Milanese bone-in veal chop coated in fine breadcrumbs and fried gently in butter until crisp and golden brown.

🇮🇹Italy· Lombardy

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 30 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 540 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

4 pieces bone-in veal rib chops — around 250g each with bone scraped clean
2 pieces large eggs — lightly beaten
150 g Fine breadcrumbs — from stale white bread or grissini
150 g clarified butter — burro chiarificato, for shallow frying
5 g Fine sea salt — to season after frying
1 piece Lemon — cut into wedges for serving

Equipment

•Meat mallet
•Large heavy frying pan
•Shallow wide dish
•Tongs
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 540 kcal
fat: 29 g
carbs: 28 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 42 g
calories: 540 kcal

Instructions

1
Scrape the rib bone of each chop clean of excess meat and connective tissue.
2
Pound the meat gently with a meat mallet, keeping it at least one centimetre thick.
3
Whisk the eggs thoroughly in a shallow bowl until completely blended.
4
Scatter the fine breadcrumbs evenly across a wide flat plate.
5
Dip a veal chop into the beaten egg, letting the excess drip off.
6
Press the chop firmly into the breadcrumbs to coat both sides thoroughly.
7
Melt the clarified butter in a large heavy frying pan over medium heat.
8
Lay the chops into the hot butter without crowding the pan.
9
Fry for five to six minutes until the underside is deep golden and crisp.
10
Turn the chops carefully and fry the second side for another five minutes.
11
Spoon hot butter over the bone and thick edges to cook them through.
12
Transfer the chops to a wire rack and sprinkle immediately with fine sea salt.

Chef's tips

Use clarified butter so you can fry steadily without scorching the milk solids. Authentic Milanese preparation does not use flour, ensuring the egg and crumbs bind directly to the meat.

Ingredient substitutions

clarified butter → unsalted butter combined with a tablespoon of neutral oil
bone-in veal rib chops → bone-in pork loin chops of equal thickness

Storage

Best enjoyed immediately, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat on a wire rack in an oven preheated to 180°C for eight to ten minutes to restore crispness.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Dredging the meat in flour first, which produces a doughy coating foreign to the true Milanese method.
•Pounding the meat too thin, which dries out the veal and loses the traditional juicy interior.
•Salting the raw meat before breading, which draws out moisture and loosens the crust.

Serving suggestions

Serve hot with lemon wedges and a crisp green salad.Pair with a classic saffron-infused risotto alla Milanese.Accompany with roasted rosemary potatoes.