Everyday Italian (23 page)

SPRINKLE THE VEAL
with ¾ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. In a large, heavy skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add 4 of the veal cutlets and cook until golden brown, about 1½ minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer the veal to a plate. Add another tablespoon of butter and tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook the remaining 4 cutlets. Set the cutlets aside.

In the same skillet, melt 1 more tablespoon of butter, then add the shallot and garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and sauté until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 3 minutes. Add the Marsala and rosemary sprig, and simmer until the Marsala reduces by half, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.

Working in batches, return the veal to the skillet and cook just until heated through, turning to coat, about 1 minute. Discard the rosemary sprig and stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into the sauce. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste.

Using tongs, transfer the veal to dinner plates. Spoon the sauce over the veal and serve.

When buying veal, make sure it is either creamy white or light pink, because it has the mildest flavor and is the freshest.

These breaded cutlets are usually made with veal, but I’ve found that it’s an excellent treatment for pork chops. As kids, my siblings and I loved this dish—what kids don’t love fried meat? And it makes for a
tasty sandwich the next day
.

4 MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS

Using a meat mallet, pound the pork chops on the work surface until they are ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle the pork chops with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Working with one pork chop at a time, dredge the chops in the flour to coat lightly, then dip the chops into the beaten eggs, allowing the excess egg to drip off. Finally, coat the pork chops with the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Set the pork chops in a single layer on a baking sheet. (The pork chops can be prepared up to this point 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a rack. In a large, heavy sauté pan with high sides, melt the butter in the oil over medium heat until hot. Carefully place 2 pork chops in the oil mixture and cook until light golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to the baking sheet and sprinkle with more salt to taste. Keep the cooked chops warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining 2 chops.

Place 1 pork chop on each of 4 dinner plates, and serve immediately with the lemon wedges.

The word
braciola
is used in different regions of Italy to describe different cuts of meat. But in southern Italy,
braciola
refers to a dish where a slice of meat is topped with different ingredients and rolled up and baked. It’s moist, rich, and very flavorful, and it’s actually easy to make, although not quick: In order to make this cut of meat moist and tasty, it needs a good amount of oven time. I like to serve it at holiday dinner parties or for Sunday supper.

You will need kitchen twine to tie the rolled flank steak.

4 MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS

In a Medium Bowl,
stir the cheeses, bread crumbs, parsley, and garlic to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil, and set aside. Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the bread-crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Starting at one short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll and enclose the filling completely. Using kitchen twine, tie the steak roll to secure. Sprinkle the braciola with the remaining salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large, heavy, ovenproof frying pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over a medium flame. Add the braciola and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Stir in the marinara sauce. Cover partially with foil and bake, turning the braciola and basting with the sauce every
30 minutes, until the meat is almost tender, about 1½ hours. Uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. (The braciola can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover with foil and refrigerate. Rewarm in a 350 degree F oven until the braciola is heated through, about 30 minutes.)

Remove the braciola from the sauce. Using a large, sharp knife, remove the kitchen twine and cut the braciola crosswise and diagonally into ½-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over and serve.

Roasts are simple, satisfying, and great for guests; nearly all your work is done ahead of time. The key to roasting meats, whether chicken or fish or pork or beef, is to achieve the proper internal temperature for the type of meat. Cook it too long, and the meat’s temperature gets too high, turning your roast dry and tough; not long enough, and it won’t be safe to eat. But cook it just right, and you’ll have a perfectly tender, flavorful, and downright easy entrée for a crowd.
The secret to achieving the right internal temperature is simple: Use a meat thermometer. The basic models cost just a couple of bucks, but I’m in love with my electronic one: The sensor stays in the oven, inserted into the meat, while a wire extends to the readout on my stovetop, and it has an alarm that lets me know when the meat has reached the desired temperature. Here are the proper internal temperatures of meats:

Roasting fish is easy and helps keep it moist, tender, and flaky. On Italy’s many coasts, it’s popular to cook fish whole—including tail and head, which is considered a delicacy for many types of fish. I can live without the heads, but I do like to stuff the fish for an added burst of flavor and aroma.