Milan, Lombardia
The authentic Milan veal cutlet differs fundamentally from the Wiener Schnitzel: the rib bone is left attached and frenched, the eye of meat is thick (1.5–2cm) and not pounded thin (unlike the Viennese version), it is coated in breadcrumbs and fried slowly in clarified butter for 8–12 minutes per side until deep golden. The bone causes the cutlet to resemble an elephant ear (orecchio di elefante). The question of who came first — Milan or Vienna — is still disputed, though the earliest documented recipe is Milanese (1148).
Golden-crusted, butter-sweet, with a pink veal interior and a clean lemon finish — the Milanese answer to the eternal question of what a perfect breaded cutlet should be
{"Bone-in rib chop, not pounded thin — the Milan version celebrates the thickness of the meat","French the bone (scrape clean) so it can be held while eating","Coating: seasoned egg, then very fine fresh breadcrumbs (pane grattugiato fresco — never dried packaged crumbs)","Cook in a generous depth of clarified butter at 140°C for 8 min per side — temperature is critical","The interior should remain pink: 60°C internal temperature at service"}
{"Fried sage leaves in the butter base add an aromatic dimension unique to Milanese tradition","Served with nothing but a wedge of lemon and a green salad dressed with only oil and salt","After frying, rest the cutlet on a rack (not paper) to prevent the bottom crust from steaming"}
{"Pounding the meat thin — creates a Viennese Schnitzel, not a Milanese cutlet","High heat — the butter burns and the crust browns before the thick interior cooks","Using dried packaged breadcrumbs — they absorb too much butter and create a heavy, greasy crust"}
La Cucina Milanese — Giovanni Goria