Parmesan Veal

Veal Parmesan is a from-scratch Italian-American classic, and this version puts the work in two right places: a real homemade tomato sauce (no jar) and a proper breading and pan-fry on the cutlets before they go into the oven. The breadcrumbs get mixed with grated Parmesan before coating, so the crust itself has cheese flavor baked into it.

The sauce is built while the cutlets fry. Onions and garlic soften slowly in oil, then canned tomatoes and fresh basil simmer until the sauce thickens enough to spoon. A pinch of sugar tames the tomato acidity. The fried cutlets get coated in sauce, topped with thin slices of mozzarella, and finished in a moderate oven for 25 minutes until the cheese melts into glossy pools and the sauce reduces around the edges of the pan.

Chef Tips

• Pound the veal cutlets thin and even before breading. Thicker pieces stay tough in the short oven time.
• Press the breadcrumb-Parmesan mixture firmly onto the cutlets after dipping. Loose breading falls off the moment it hits the pan.
• Get the oil properly hot before adding the cutlets. Cold oil produces soggy, greasy breading instead of crisp.
• Do not overcook the cutlets in the pan. They just need golden color. The oven finishes the cooking and a long fry dries them out.
• Use sliced mozzarella over shredded. Slices give proper melted pools rather than a uniform layer of cheese.

Variations

• Substitute pounded chicken breast for veal. Cook time stays the same.
• Use breaded eggplant slices for a vegetarian eggplant Parmesan version. Salt and drain the eggplant first.
• Add fresh oregano and red pepper flakes to the sauce for more aggressive Italian flavor.