Meat Butter.

So you read the title of this post and said to yourself, "Say what!?!"  and are wondering what the heck "meat butter" could be.  It just happens to be a nickname that my husband gave to a particular type of meat, namely veal.  Veal is what the meat of a young calf (2-35 days old) is called and used in many dishes such as "marsala", "scallopine", "parmagiana" and many other Italian specialties.  Whether is has already been sliced into thin cutlets, or pounded out (1/4 inch is standard), veal is so delicate that, if cooked correctly, will melt in your mouth like butter...hence "meat butter".  If overcooked, however, don't waste your money, and it is expensive, buying it, just pull the tongues out of some old shoes and cook those up instead.

Making veal parmagiana is very similar to chicken parmagiana with a few differences. Since veal is very delicate in texture and taste, you have to be careful to not overcook it, or to overwhelm it with flavorings, such as homemade pasta sauce. In my recipe, I use just a half cup in the baking dish for the veal to rest on and very little as a topping; it simply doesn't need much. Don't overwhelm the flavor of the veal with cheese either. Sargento came out with a perfect cheese combination of mozzarella and provolone cut into thin slices; just the right size for a 4 ounce portion of veal.

Again, don't overcook the veal and you definitely know you have when it shrinks in size and is tough as shoe leather. Whether you splurge on yourself or your loved one(s), you won't regret trying this dish. Enjoy!

Veal Parmagiana

Ingredients:

Olive oil
4 veal cutlets (4 oz each)
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
½ cup Italian style dried bread crumbs
4 slices mozzarella/provolone slices (Sargento ) or just use 4 slices of either if you cannot find combo.
½ lb angel hair pasta
4 cups homemade pasta sauce

Preparation:

In a large skillet, pour enough oil to reach 1/2 inch; heat on medium-high heat. While oil is heating, beat egg and milk together in a wide bowl; place bread crumbs into separate bowl. Dip cutlets into egg mixture, and then coat both sides with bread crumbs. Oil is ready when a drop of water sizzles in skillet; carefully place breaded veal in skillet. Fry each side for 1 1/2 minutes; drain on paper towels; breading will just be browning…DO NOT OVERCOOK.

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray an 8” x 8” baking dish with nonstick spray and spread 1/2 cup of sauce over bottom. Place fried veal into dish, place 1 slice of cheese over each; spread 2 Tbsp of sauce over each. Bake for 15-20 minutes; sauce will be bubbly and cheese melted. While veal parmagiana is baking, prepare the angel hair pasta by cooking in pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Remove veal from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving with pasta; use remaining sauce for the pasta.

Option: place baked veal on toasted Italian bread to make a sandwich.

Makes 4 servings.

Mary Cokenour