The Best Veal Parmesan
Prep
25m
Cook
25m
Total
50m
Bigly says
I want to talk about Veal Parmesan. The original. Before Chicken Parm. Before Eggplant Parm. Before every other Parm tried to climb the ladder and stand on the shoulders of GIANTS. Veal Parmesan came FIRST. Veal Parm is the FATHER of all Parms. And I've had veal parm in every Italian-American restaurant from Hoboken to Hollywood — more veal parm than any single person you know, it's not a competition but I'd WIN the competition — and most of them, sad to say, are a disaster. Soggy. Greasy. The cutlet is the size of a postcard and the sauce is the size of a swimming pool. A CRIME against veal. A CRIME against parmesan. A crime against the entire concept of dinner.
Not here. Not at BiglyEats. Here we do it RIGHT. We pound the cutlets THIN — paper thin, see-through thin, the way the old-school Italian butchers in Brooklyn did it before the whole borough turned into one giant artisanal pickle store, sad — and we do a proper three-stage breading. Flour, egg, breadcrumbs WITH parmesan in the breadcrumbs, because if you're not putting parmesan IN the breadcrumbs you're a coward. Fry until GOLDEN. Sauce LIGHTLY. Melt cheese on top in a HOT oven for two minutes, not twenty — two, you do twenty you've made cheese soup, total embarrassment.
Veal Parm is OLDER than the Italian flag. Older than every cookbook you own. Pre-pyramid technology, basically, the Italians had it, the Italian-Americans perfected it, and then everybody else got their hands on it and started doing weird things — frozen cutlets, pre-shredded cheese, a CONSPIRACY against good cheese sauce — and now we're here cleaning up the mess. The actual secret to Parmesan-of-any-kind is keeping the cutlet CRISPY. Sauce GOES on the plate, then the cutlet, then a stripe of sauce across the middle, then the cheese. Not a bath. NOT A BATH. The cutlet should not swim. The cutlet should sit, proudly, like a king, on a throne of pasta with a sash of sauce. That is the BIGLY way. End of discussion.
Ingredients
- 4 (4-5 oz each)veal cutlets(from the leg, ask your butcher to pound them thin or do it yourself)
- to tastekosher salt
- to tasteblack pepper
- 1/2 cupall-purpose flour
- 2large eggs
- 2 tbspwhole milk
- 1.5 cupsitalian-style breadcrumbs(or panko mixed with dried oregano and garlic powder)
- 1/2 cupparmigiano reggiano, finely grated (for breading)(IN the breadcrumbs, this is non-negotiable)
- 1/4 cupolive oil (for frying)
- 2 tbspunsalted butter
- 2 cupsgood marinara sauce(homemade or a quality jar — not the bargain bin stuff)
- 8 ozfresh mozzarella, sliced(low-moisture works, fresh is better, your call)
- 1/4 cupparmigiano reggiano, grated (for topping)
- small handfulfresh basil leaves
- 1 lbspaghetti or linguine (for serving)
Steps
- 1
Place each veal cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound with a meat mallet (or the bottom of a heavy skillet) until 1/4 inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- 2
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Set up a breading station: one shallow dish with the flour, one with the eggs beaten with the milk, and one with the breadcrumbs mixed with the 1/2 cup grated parmesan.
- 3
Dredge each cutlet in flour, shaking off the excess. Dip in the egg mixture, letting excess drip off. Press firmly into the breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides completely. Set on a plate.
- 4
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking.
- 5
Working in two batches, fry the cutlets for 2-3 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- 6
Spread about 1/2 cup of marinara across the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange the cutlets on top in a single layer (or slightly overlapping if needed).
- 7
Top each cutlet with a few tablespoons of marinara across the center — leaving the edges of the cutlet exposed and crispy. Lay slices of mozzarella on top and sprinkle with the remaining grated parmesan.
- 8
Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly with a few golden spots. If you want more color, broil for 30-60 seconds at the end, watching carefully.
- 9
While the cutlets bake, cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and toss with a few spoonfuls of marinara.
- 10
Plate a serving of pasta, lay a cutlet on top, garnish with torn fresh basil. Serve immediately while the cutlet is still crispy.
One more thing
This is the dish that built every Italian-American restaurant in this country. Every single one. Veal Parm on the menu, the lights are on, business is good. Veal Parm comes off the menu, the lights flicker, the restaurant closes in six months, sad. It's a LITMUS TEST. And now you can make the GREATEST version of it at home, in your own kitchen, on a Sunday, with the football on, with a glass of red wine, with a family that suddenly remembers they LIKE you. That's the power of veal parm done right. The greatest parm in the history of parm. Save me a piece.
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