Milanese Veal Cutlet
Cotoletta alla Milanese is one of the most famous dishes from Lombardy, especially Milan. It is a simple but elegant recipe built around good veal, careful breading, and frying in plenty of clarified butter until the crust turns golden and crisp.
This is not an everyday breadcrumbed cutlet. The traditional Milanese version is made with veal on the bone and kept fairly thick, so the meat stays tender inside while the outside becomes beautifully crisp. Like many classic northern Italian dishes, it relies on technique more than decoration.
Ingredients ( Serves 4 )
- 4 veal cutlets on the bone, about 250 g each
- 4 large eggs
- 300 g breadcrumbs
- 300 g clarified butter
- Maldon salt or flaky sea salt, to taste
Optional side of potatoes
- 500 g small potatoes
- 100 g clarified butter
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 rosemary sprig
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Method
- If needed, trim and clean the veal cutlets, leaving the bone attached. Lightly flatten them just enough to even out the thickness, but do not make them too thin.
- Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl. Place the breadcrumbs in a second shallow dish.
- Coat each cutlet first in breadcrumbs, then in egg, then again in breadcrumbs. Repeat once more for a proper double coating, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere well.
- Let the breading settle for a few minutes while you heat the clarified butter in a large frying pan.
- Fry the cutlets over a medium heat for about 3–4 minutes per side, or until deeply golden and crisp. The butter should be hot but not smoking.
- Transfer to kitchen paper briefly, then season with flaky salt.
- If serving with potatoes, slice them thinly, blanch them briefly, then fry in clarified butter with garlic and rosemary until golden. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Serve immediately.
Tips and Variations
- Use veal on the bone for a more traditional result.
- Do not flatten the meat too much — Milanese cutlets are usually thicker than schnitzel.
- Clarified butter gives the most authentic flavour and helps the crust brown properly.
- Press the breadcrumbs on well so the coating stays attached during frying.
History of Milanese Veal Cutlet
Cotoletta alla Milanese is one of the signature dishes of Milan and has long been part of the city’s culinary identity. Often compared with schnitzel, the Lombard version is traditionally made with veal on the bone and fried in clarified butter, giving it a richer flavour and a distinct texture. It is commonly served alongside classic Milanese dishes such as braised veal shanks Milano-style and saffron risotto.
