Italian Veal Cutlets

two breaded veal cutlets on a plate topped with basil pieces

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My family's pan-fried veal cutlets are the best! They feature a delicious blend of bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano and seasonings.

Prep Time15

Cook Time12

Total Time27

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 387kcal

Author: Mamma C

Equipment

meat mallet

Ingredients

Bread Crumb Mixture

¾ cup plain bread crumbs (see notes)
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (use freshly grated for best results)
⅓ teaspoon dried basil
⅓ teaspoon garlic powder
⅓ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt

Chicken Cutlets

1 pound veal cutlets
2 extra large eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil (divided use) (for pan frying; see notes)

Instructions

Grate the Pecorino, if needed. Mix the bread crumb ingredients in a bowl.
Place the veal on a large cutting board. If the cutlets are large, cut them into serving portions with a chef's knife or kitchen scissors.
Pound the cutlets well to tenderize them: Cover them with a large sheet of plastic wrap (to prevent a mess). Use a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy frying pan to pound the first side of the veal. Lift the plastic, flip the meat over, cover it again with plastic wrap, and pound the other side. Discard the plastic wrap and wash your hands well if you touched the raw meat.
Crack two eggs and add them to a small bowl, such as a pasta dish. Season the eggs with the salt and pepper and beat the eggs with a fork.
Set up an assembly line from left to right with the veal, the bowl of eggs, the bread crumb mixture and a clean platter. Wear food-safe gloves if you have them. Use your hands to dip a cutlet in the beaten eggs, coating both sides. Let the eggs drip off, then place the piece of veal in the bread crumbs. Use your fingers to cover the veal with the bread crumbs, then pat them onto the meat firmly. Flip the veal over and bread the other side. Place the breaded cutlet onto the platter and continue until you have breaded all of the meat. Discard any leftover egg mixture and any bread crumb mixture that had raw meat dipped in them.
Line a clean platter with paper towels.
You'll need to fry the veal in two batches on the stove, unless you have an extra-large electric skillet (see notes). If using a 12-inch frying pan, heat it on the stove over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and let it get hot. When the oil is sizzling, add some breaded veal cutlets to the pan in a single layer, fitting as many as you can. Fry the cutlets on the first side for almost three minutes, then flip them over and cook them for another two minutes. The veal should be golden brown on both sides, and when you cut into it, the meat should not be pink.
Transfer the fried veal to the paper towel-lined platter. Dab both sides of the meat with the paper towels to absorb excess oil. Cover the veal loosely with foil.
If the olive oil has turned dark after cooking the first batch, remove the pan from the heat and wipe out the pan with paper towels. Add another 3 tablespoons of olive oil so you can cook the next batch of cutlets in clean oil.
Continue cooking the rest of the cutlets. Let the cutlets rest under the foil for at least five minutes before serving, to help keep them juicy.
Store leftover veal cutlets in the refrigerator for up to four days. The leftovers are great in sandwiches.

Notes

The cutlets taste amazing with homemade bread crumbs, but use what you have. If starting with seasoned Italian bread crumbs, just add the Romano and skip the other bread crumb ingredients.
My family uses olive oil to fry our cutlets, because it tastes delicious. However, olive oil has a low smoke point, and will turn dark once you've fried a panful of cutlets. You'll need to wipe out the pan and replenish it with clean olive oil to fry the next batch. If you prefer, you can use canola or vegetable oil, which have higher smoke points.
To Reheat: You can reheat breaded veal cutlets in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes for the crispiest results. If you don't have an air fryer, you can reheat them in a pan on the stove. It's best not to microwave them, because the veal will become soggy.

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