Best Italian Veal Scallopini (with Videos)

Veal is one of the most tender and prized meats available. It makes some of the best meat dishes on the planet, including veal scallopini. Let’s take a look at veal, its best uses, and a couple of recipes for a diverse selection of veal scallopini.

What Is Veal?

It has been eaten for millennia and is prized for its soft and tender texture. It has been a staple of French, Italian, and other Mediterranean cuisines since the Classical Era. The United States can thank Italian immigrants for bringing their culinary traditions with them to the country and introducing veal dishes.

As it comes from cows, veal is just as versatile as beef, but it’s softer, and some would say more delicious. There are veal rib roasts, steaks, stews, and even veal burgers. So, why aren’t three more veal dishes around to rival the popularity of beef?

Why Isn’t Veal As Popular as Beef?

There are a couple of reasons. First and foremost is the price. Veal is almost always more expensive than beef because the animal is so young when it is slaughtered.

It doesn’t produce as much meat, and in many cases, it is more expensive to raise. Most types of veal require special feeds, and that cost is passed on to the customer. So, don’t expect McDonald’s to start offering veal burgers anytime soon.

Another reason veal is restricted to fancier restaurants, and talented home cooks is the difficulty associated with cooking it. Veal has much less fat than beef, so cooks must take great care when preparing it.

The minimal amount of fat on veal cuts renders away quickly, and the meat then toughens up and dries out. You need a decent hand at the kitchen counter to pull off veal and a good recipe, but that’s why you’re here!

Veal Nutrition

Although veal comes from younger cattle, it is not that much different from nutritionally speaking. The tastes may differ, but your body gets roughly the same amount and type of nutrients as it would from a beef cut of comparable size.

Veal does have a bit more cholesterol on average than beef, but it isn’t excessive. You’re not likely to eat veal all that often anyway compared to beef, so the difference shouldn’t cause any problems.

What Is Scallopini?

As we talked about before, scallopini is a dish that originated in Italy. The word comes from the Italian scaloppa, meaning a small scallop or slice of meat. Scallopini is a dish that consists of thinly sliced meat, most often veal, but pork and chicken sometimes take their place. Veal is the pinnacle of scallopini, however, because the tenderness of the meat and the thin cut makes the meat a delight to eat. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">How Is Veal Scallopini Prepared?</h3> In Italy, every household has its own family recipe for scallopini. It’s comfort food like mom’s <a href="https://pocketchangegourmet.com/30-macaroni-cheese-recipes/">mac and cheese</a>, grandma’s <a href="https://pocketchangegourmet.com/beefy-noodle-casserole/">casserole</a>, or dad’s <a href="https://pocketchangegourmet.com/homemade-pancake-mix/">pancakes</a>. Just, you know, more Italian. So more flavor, more complexity, and a lot more wine. Traditionally, scallopini is dredged in wheat flour, then sauteed or fried in a redux sauce. A redux sauce is simply a reduction sauce consisting of many different ingredients, including but not limited to stock, water, beer, <a href="https://pocketchangegourmet.com/cooking-wine-101/">wine</a>, aromatics, and a small amount of fat. Of course, there are many types of redux sauces out there, but the ones most associated with scallopini are tomato-wine redux, mushroom-wine redux, piccata, and pizzaiola sauce. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">What is Veal Scallopini?</h2> Veal scallopini is a Grecian, regular, traditional, conventional, American, and Italian dish ruptured with copious, ample, rich, and scintillating flavor. Before acquaintance with this recipe, one should be familiar with its terms. The term veal is different from beef as the meat of a mature calf is known as beef and the meat from a calf that is approximately about five months or twenty-one weeks is known as veal. Due to the insufficiency of veal, it is more expensive than beef. While the term scallopini specifies little cutlets of about one-fourth the size of the veal that is soaked into flour and using buttered oil fried. The sauce consists entirely of butter, parsley, and a small amount of stock. There aren’t many <a href="https://pocketchangegourmet.com/how-to-freeze-herbs/">herbs</a>, spices, or other distinctive ingredients. Simply put, it works amazingly. Nothing beats freshly grilled mushrooms; the best parsley is Italian or flat-leaf. And if you use veal, it is essential to serve it with the most flavorful and fresh components. This nutritious veal scallopini recipe is fantastic to try when you can’t decide between a chicken supper and a beef dinner. Although veal is undoubtedly beef, this dish contains components of both. This dish is very flavourful, delectable, and delicious. This luscious restaurant-worthy menu can be easily prepared at home. As the classical scallopini dish is easy to prepare, so one can enjoy this appetizing food at the home. It is an enticingly wealthy dish bulging with intense lemon flavor in a delicious sauce with a creamy look. This dish is fried into butter using piccata sauce, which makes this dish saucy and delicious. This dish can be cooked swiftly because the veal is in thinly sliced form. <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Veal Scallopini Recipes</h2> On to the recipes! We’ll look at two recipes here, each with its own distinct bouquet of flavors. Since scallopini is a broad definition of a dish, there have been many different takes on it over the years with different sauces and accompanying ingredients. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">1. Veal Scallopini in Mushroom Sauce</h3> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XPCfeHD2E4A?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"> This simple recipe can be done by just about anyone and in a relatively short amount of time. It’s a good recipe to start with if you’ve never cooked veal before and want something nice and easy to try the dish out. Ingredients <ul> <li>4 ounces of veal: Ideally, you want this in two cutlets, but you can go smaller if you want.</li> <li>2 tablespoons wheat flour: you can use all-purpose flour if you want. The type isn’t so important; you can use your favorite. Just don’t use self-rising flour!</li> <li>Salt and pepper: The amount here is up to you. Season it to your preferred taste.</li> <li>3 tablespoons butter: Keep these tablespoons separated for now. You’ll add different amounts at different times, so don’t mix them all together.</li> <li>1 tablespoon olive oil: Again, your preference here. Just make sure it’s olive oil and not some other kind.</li> <li>1/4 pound fresh mushrooms: You are going to want to slice these up pretty thinly.</li> <li>1/3 cup chicken broth: You can use canned broth, but if you have the time and ability, homemade broth makes for a more robust flavor. It isn’t vital, though.</li> <li>2 teaspoons fresh parsley: Mince this up beforehand. Also, if you aren’t a parsley person, you can probably skip this if you want.</li> </ul> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">How to Make Veal Scallopini in Mushroom Sauce</h4> <ul> <li>Flatten your veal cutlets; they should be around a 1/8th of an inch thick by the time you are done. You use the flat side of a kitchen knife but don’t use a tenderizer. The veal is tender enough as it is.</li> <li>Put the veal, salt, pepper, and flour into a Ziploc or similarly resealable bag and close tightly.</li> <li>Shake the bag until the mixture of flour, salt, and pepper evenly coat the veal cutlets. Just eyeball it.</li> <li>In a skillet, heat two of the tablespoons of butter you set aside and the oil.</li> <li>Place the veal into the skillet and cook on medium heat for one minute on each side. The juices coming from the veal should be clear.</li> <li>Remove the veal and put it somewhere it can stay warm.</li> <li>Add the mushrooms to the skillet and stir for two to three minutes. The mushrooms should be tender by the time you are done.</li> <li>Place the mushrooms on the veal.</li> <li>Stir the broth into the skillet. If you see any chunks forming, break them up and stir them in.</li> <li>Add the parsley and the rest of the butter and stir for two minutes, or until thickened to your liking.</li> <li>Pour over your veal and mushrooms.</li> </ul> This recipe makes enough to serve two. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">2. Veal Scallopini with Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce</h3> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7unuQXlRdnA?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"> If <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/278858.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mushrooms</a> aren’t your thing (they should be but to each their own) then try this variation that uses olives and sundried tomatoes along with white wine to make the sauce.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil: Again, up to you what kind.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter: As with the last recipe, keep the butter separated into tablespoon-sized chunks.
1/2 cup flour: Again, all-purpose works fine here. No self-rising flour!
1-pound sliced veal cutlets: These should be sliced thinly so that they are about ¾ of an inch thick.
1/3 cup dry white wine: Sauvignon blanc, pinot grigios, pinot blanc, sémillons, and dry sparkling wines work well here because of their high acidity. Good for cooking.
1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes: These should be julienne cut.
1/3 cup drained pitted brine-cured black olives: Chop these coarse.
Salt and pepper: In amounts to your taste.

How to Make Veal Scallopini with Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F with the rack in the middle position.
Heat the oil and two tablespoons of the butter in a heavy skillet on high heat until the butter stops foaming.
Spread the flour in half of a shallow baking pan.
Place veal cutlets on the flour and season the top with salt and pepper.
Flip the cutlets and season the other side so that now both sides are floured and seasoned.
Place the veal cutlets, two at a time if you can manage it, into the skillet and cook for one and a half minutes. Flip them over halfway through. The cutlets should be lightly browned and just barely cooked all the way through.
Put the cutlets on an oven-safe platter when done cooking, and warm them in the oven.
Bring the wine, broth, tomatoes, and olives to a boil in the skillet. Don’t clean it first!
If you see any brown bits, stir them into the sauce and break them up.
Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter and stir until fully mixed in (exactly how we do it for the grilled shrimp with butter and herbs.
Remove the sauce from the heat and season further with salt and pepper to your liking.
Pour the sauce onto your veal scallopinis and enjoy!

Garnish with parsley and lemon slices if you like. Or even better, prepare aside a blueberry kiwi lemonade slush.

Why You’ll Love the Recipe?

This makes delicious scintillating flavored dinners with lower risks of fat.
This enticingly wealthy dish bulging with intense lemon flavor in a delicious sauce with a creamy look.
The dish is flavourful, delectable, appetizing, and delicious.

Storing Tips

Serve: Many different types of substances can be presented with the veal scallopini as a side dish. Potatoes, beans, and rice can be used amazingly with veal scallopini, which can absorb the sauces in a wonderful and perfect manner. Fresh-boiled vegetables can also be used for serving purposes. Broccoli, green beans, and carrots provide a surprising taste as a side dish with veal scallopini.

Store: In an airtight container that is closed from each side can be used for storage purposes for 1 week.

Freeze: If kept frozen, veal will be safe indefinitely, although the quality can be affected with extended freezing. Freeze in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, or wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or freezer wrap. For best quality, use veal chops and roasts within 4 to 6 months and ground veal or stews meat within 3 to 4 months.

Health Benefits

Veal contains selenium, vitamin B, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin B12, vitamin A, Iron, Vitamin B3, vitamin D, and zinc. It has lower contents of fats as compared to beef. It is a sufficient source of essential amino acids. Due to all these characteristics that are possessed by the veal rate of cancer, cardiovascular disease has been lower to some extent. Presence of iron help in the transportation of oxygen in our red blood cells. Vitamins’ presence provides an adequate amount of energy to the body. Bone metabolism can be regulated, and digestive problems can be controlled to some extent by using this. It can help in the creation of insulin, keratin, and hemoglobin; these three play a vital and effective role in our body.

Reduction of blood pressure:

Food with high content of potassium surprisingly affects to control of blood pressure. So, we can say potassium balances the level of fluids in the human body to an amazing extent. Unluckily if the body has much sodium content, then the chances of high blood pressure increase by 65%. But at that time, potassium can play a key role in maintaining these sodium contents. Veal is a sufficient and excellent source of potassium. So, we should use veal in our diet in different dishes like veal scallopini is very delicious and a source of potassium.

Cholesterol level improvement:

Due to the use of veal rate of cardiovascular disease has been lowered to a sufficient extent. Many studies show that the person who uses veal in their meal has a 7% lower risk of heart disease. And cholesterol level improves to a great extent by using veal in our diet. If someone is suffering from great cholesterol levels and is ill from heart disease, then it is necessary to use veal in a routine diet.

Improvement in muscle functioning:

Due to the presence of high levels of proteins, muscle functioning can be enhanced to a great extent. Some amino acid plays a role in synthesizing protein for better muscle performance. Fat loss can also be increased by taking veal in the diet.

Brain function enhancement:

An amazing and excellent source of vitamin B12 is veal. It affects nervous tissues in a positive direction. An inadequate amount of vitamin B12 can badly affect brain functioning. So, for better results, veal should be routinely used.

Nutrition Information

Per serving:

Calories	479 kcal	Carbohydrates	11 g
Calcium	24 mg	Fat	32 g
Saturated Fat	15 g	Cholesterol	178 mg
Sugar	3 g	Fiber	1 g
Sodium	901 mg	Protein	42 g
Vitamin A	696IU	Vitamin C	5mg

Enjoy Your Veal Scallopini!

Veal scallopini is a great way to try veal or, if you already love it, try veal in various ways. The two sauces we reviewed in these recipes are a good place to start, but more is out there! For example, the sauces in the sweet and sour pork recipe! There are lots of ways to enjoy this Italian classic. Italian cuisine is indeed delicious. I only have to imagine the layered Italian pasta salad for my mouth to become watery.

Featured image: CC BY 2.0, Ralph Daily via https://www.flickr.com.

Mark Hammill

Mark is a self-taught cook specializing in Asian cuisine. Mark’s passion for food began at a young age when his parents finally allowed him to attempt cooking. Since then, he’s found himself experimenting in the kitchen, watching cooking shows, and reading food blogs. Mark lives in Toronto, Canada, where he works as a restaurant chef.

Comments

Suan says

October 6, 2020 at 9:09 am

This article is incorrect. Veal comes from LAMBS aka young sheep. Not at all the same thing as beef from young cattle, although you can sometimes substitute beef for veal in recipes.

Suan says

October 6, 2020 at 9:25 am

My apologies. Apparently I was taught incorrectly that veal comes from lamb rather than young cattle. Please disregard my prior comment.

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