Scallopine Dishes

[David Ross]

Scallopine is an incredibly versatile dish-you can use chicken, pork or the traditional veal-and it’s inexpensive and easy to prepare.

Last night I made Veal Picatta using Scallopine that I cut from a Veal Loin. Last Fall I bought 2, 1lb. Veal Loins from D’Artagnan. The Veal cost $20 per lb. While that’s more expensive per lb. than the pre-cut Veal Scallopine I can find in the supermarket for 12.99 per lb., in the long run, cutting the Scallopine myself was far cheaper and I can control the size of the cut. I used the first Veal Loin wrapped in bacon and roasted. For the second Veal Loin I cut half in Scallopine and I still have enough left for a few thick medallion steaks.

For the Veal Picatta I cut thin Scallopine and then pounded them to about 3/8” thickness. Then I seasoned the veal with sea salt and pepper, dredged in flour, then dredged in beaten egg, then dredged in breadcrumbs. I used fresh breadcrumbs last night but I prefer Panko, (which I couldn’t find in my cupboard). Fresh breadcrumbs don’t get as crispy during frying as Panko.

I only cooked the Scallopine for about 2 minutes per side in oil over a medium-high heat. Once the Scallopine was golden and crispy I made a quick sauce by deglazing the skillet with dry white wine, then lemon juice and capers and a small finish of a few tablespoons of butter.

What meats do you use for Scallopine and what types of dishes do you prepare?