Family Recipe: Veal Cutlets


Submitted by Carole of the Leanza Family in Fallon, Nevada.

To kick off our Family Dinner series, ISDA Member and bakery owner Carole Leanza from Fallon, Nevada shares one of her favorite recipes passed down through the years.

Who taught you this recipe? 

My mother, Lucy Leanza.

How long has this recipe been passed down in your family?

Four generations that I know of.

When did your family use this recipe? 

I grew up with this as part of our special occasions, family events and holidays. I have expanded this recipe to use other meats and it is a family favorite at all times.

What is your favorite memory of cooking this recipe? 

My mother believed that you never know when 100 people might drop by for dinner. You always need to have enough food, already cooked, in the freezer…

She would buy 5 pounds of veal and we’d set up an assembly line in the kitchen with me doing the first dip and breading while she would do the second dip and fry in two big cast iron fry pans. It would take us several hours to fry them all up, but we would have a blast cooking side by side.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound of thinly sliced veal (can also use chicken, turkey, or beef)
  • 4 to 6 eggs
  • 2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil for frying

Preparation:

  • Trim the sliced veal to the size you want the cutlets to be.
  • Beat the eggs until well mixed in a bowl.
  • Mix the breadcrumbs and cheese together in a pan or dish that is flat enough to dip the veal pieces in.
  • First dip: Dip the veal into the eggs and then place in the bread crumbs, patting them on to make sure they stick. Don’t worry about being real gentle. You want a good layer of breadcrumb/cheese mix on your cutlet.
  • Bread all your cutlets and put in a dish. Save the rest of the eggs – you will need them.

Cooking Instructions:

  • Once they are all breaded, heat your oil (you want about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of oil in the pan). Heat the oil until a drop of the egg fries up quickly.
  • Second Dip: Once the oil is hot, Dip the cutlet into the eggs again and then place them into the oil.
  • Fry them on the first side for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn them and cook for 2 – 3 minutes on the other side or until golden brown. (Keep an eye on the temperature of your oil, you want it hot but not to the point where the cutlet burns before it cooks).
  • After removing the pieces from the pan, drain them on a cooling rack or on some paper towels.

Notes:

  • The oil will “foam” in the pan. This is normal and is really from the cheese in the breading.
  • The veal or beef cutlets are thin and the cooking time suggested is sufficient to cook them through.
  • If you are using chicken or turkey, you may want to put them in a 300 degree oven for about 10 to 15 minutes after frying (to make sure they get fully cooked through)
  • If you have a meat thermometer, you want to make sure that the chicken is 165 degrees in the thickest part of the cutlet.

This recipe is great for making the day ahead and then heating in the oven just before serving. They also freeze great.

Help us grow our ISDA Cookbook. Submit your favorite family recipe today and we may feature it on our site soon!

Like us on Facebook to receive more Italian recipes. 

Share your favorite recipe, and we may feature it on our website.

Join the conversation, and share recipes, travel tips and stories.