Veal cutlets: late night fare

It had been a long week. And it had been an even longer two hours making it through a Friday early evening screening of Couples Retreat. While Vince Vaughn spurted out his usual roundabout quips, I drifted off into a preparatory reverie of what to make for dinner when I’d finally make it back to my Park Slope kitchen.

Ahhh, the soothing task of drumming up the right meal for the post-film dinner for two. I wanted it to be something simple, since we would be dining late. Nothing over-complicated and sauce-based at that hour. I wanted satisfying bistro fare. Veal cutlets with lemony arugula and shaved parmesan is just what I was in the mood for, and I think you’ll find a place for this one in your “go-to” repertoire.

Everyone has made chicken cutlets before. With the factory assembly set-up of three bowls (one with flour, one with whisked eggs, and one with store-bought breadcrumbs), my high school babysitting days grew to be an absolute drive-by breeze. Even kids are fascinated by the pure fun of dipping your protein of choice, getting them coated, and off to lightly fry. But there are many tricks of the trade along the way to ensure a crispy, golden brown exterior for my protein of choice, veal. And why veal? I often seek an alternative to chicken, and veal has a rich flavor that makes standard bistro fare extra special for a Friday night dinner.

Serves 2
For the veal:
2 thinly pounded veal cutlets (these come very inexpensive in your local grocery store, and should be about ¼ inch thick)
2 eggs, whisked in a shallow bowl
¼ cup flour, placed in a shallow bowl
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs, placed in a shallow bowl
Salt and freshly-ground pepper
chile flakes, optional
Olive oil

-Lightly wash and pat dry veal. You want to have no excess water on the veal so that the coating adheres smoothly.
-Season the cutlets on both sides with salt and freshly-ground pepper. Press into the cutlets.
-Using one hand (or tongs), dip a cutlet into the flour. Pat off excess.
-Moving onto the eggs, dip in, and let hang above to remove off all excess.
-Drop cutlet into the breadcrumbs, and bring mixture up and over the veal so that all is covered. Lift up and pat off, looking for any uncovered spots.
-Set aside in a dish lined with tin foil (for easy clean-up), and repeat with the second cutlet.
-At this point, I set aside the veal so that the coating has time to rest before frying. This can be done in advance and refrigerated for a day.
- Heat up a large skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, so that there is about ¼ inch layer in your pan. Drop in salt and chile flakes (if you like spice as I do). Spread seasonings around with a wooden spoon.
-Once the oil is hot, drop the cutlets in, one on either side. They should immediately sizzle. If not, your pan must heat up more.
-Let the veal fry on one side for 4 minutes. Do not lift up while cooking, so that the veal has enough contact with the pan to develop a nice coating.
-Using tongs, flip and let cook for another 4 minutes.
-Meanwhile, clean the dish lined with foil, and re-line with paper towels. When the veal comes out, let it sit on the towel to drain excess oil.

For the salad:
2 cups baby arugula (washed and dried)
½ lemon, juiced
1/8 cup olive oil
cherry tomatoes, halved
pine nuts, toasted and cooled
Salt and freshly-ground pepper
block of parmesan

-In your salad bowl, whisk together lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste.
- Drop in arugula and halved tomatoes. Toss until just coated. Taste for seasoning.
- Plate salad with pine nuts as garnish.
- Layer veal over the lettuce.
- Shave parmesan over and serve.
The lettuce will slightly wilt from the warm veal, rounding out each flavor component into one simple, satisfying plate of late night fare.