Costoletta di Vitello alla Valdostana con Fontina DOP

Ingredients

• 4 veal chops, bone-in, minimum 3 cm thick, butterflied through the eye to form a pocket
• 120 g Fontina DOP, sliced to fit the pocket; genuine DOP only
• 80 g Valle d'Aosta lardo or Jambon de Bosses, thinly sliced; optional
• 100 g plain flour, for dusting
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 150 g fine dry breadcrumbs
• 150 g clarified butter, for frying; plus extra for basting
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, for basting in the final minute
• 1 pinch white pepper, to season the interior pocket
• 1 pinch nutmeg, a trace only, to season the interior pocket
• For the accompaniments
• 300 g Valle d'Aosta mushrooms, cleaned and sliced; sautéed to serve
• 400 g seasonal vegetables, braised to serve

Method

1. 1
   Butterfly each veal chop through the eye to create a deep pocket, leaving the bone and the outer edge intact. Season the interior of each pocket with white pepper and a trace of nutmeg. Lay a slice of Fontina DOP inside — and a slice of lardo or Jambon de Bosses if using — then press the opening firmly shut and secure with toothpicks along the full length of the seam. The pocket must be entirely closed: sight-check that no gap remains along the edge.
2. 2
   Set out three wide shallow vessels: flour, beaten egg, and fine breadcrumbs. Dust each secured chop in flour, shaking off the excess, then draw it through the beaten egg, allowing the surplus to drain. Lay the chop into the breadcrumbs and press with an even, light hand — sufficient to adhere the crumb in a uniform layer without creating thick or uneven patches. Turn and repeat. The finished surface should appear pale gold and consistently textured across the entire face.
3. 3
   This is the step on which the dish lives or dies. Melt the clarified butter in a heavy sauté pan large enough to hold the chops without crowding, and bring it to medium-high heat. Lower the breaded chops into the pan. Fry for approximately four minutes per side, maintaining medium-high — not high — heat throughout: the 3 cm thickness demands time for the interior Fontina to reach melting temperature, and high heat will burn the crust before that occurs. In the last minute, add a fresh knob of clarified butter and a sprig of thyme, and baste the upper surface continuously. The crust is ready when it is a deep, even, unbroken gold on both sides, and a thin skewer inserted into the centre for five seconds feels distinctly warm at the wrist when withdrawn.
4. 4
   Transfer the cooked chops to a rack — not a plate — and rest for three minutes. This allows the melted Fontina to stabilise inside the pocket. Remove the toothpicks. The exterior should remain audibly crisp when the surface is tapped lightly with the back of a finger.
5. 5
   Plate each chop immediately alongside the sautéed mushrooms and braised seasonal vegetables. The interior, when cut at table, should reveal a molten but contained layer of Fontina — yielding but not running freely across the plate.