Thin-Cut Veal Parmesan with Melted Provolone

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Veal cutlets pounded thin enough to cook in under three minutes, breaded in panko and Parmesan, shallow-fried until shatteringly crisp, then finished under the broiler with sharp provolone. The tomato sauce goes on in spoonfuls — not ladles — so the crust stays audible. This is the steakhouse-Italian version worth the price of good veal, done in under an hour.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp sugar (optional, if tomatoes are sharp)
• 6 leaf fresh basil

• 1 1/2 lb veal top round or loin cutlets (8 small or 4 large)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp whole milk
• 2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil, for frying
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 6 oz sharp provolone, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 tbsp torn fresh basil
• flaky sea salt
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Start the sauce: warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook 60–90 seconds until the garlic is fragrant and just barely golden — do not let it brown.
2. Add the hand-crushed tomatoes with their juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the sugar if using. Simmer uncovered over medium-low for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened enough that a spoon dragged through the pan leaves a brief trail. Stir in the basil leaves, turn off the heat, and keep warm. You want about 2 cups; any extra keeps for a week.
3. Pound the veal: place a cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound from the center outward with the flat side of a meat mallet or the bottom of a small skillet until an even 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with all cutlets. Season both sides with the 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper.
4. Set up three shallow dishes: flour in the first; eggs beaten with the milk in the second; panko tossed with 3/4 cup grated Parmesan and the oregano in the third. Working one at a time, dredge a cutlet in flour and shake off the excess, dip in egg letting the extra drip away, then press firmly into the panko mixture on both sides so it truly adheres. Lay the breaded cutlets on a wire rack and rest 10 minutes — this sets the crust so it won't slide off in the oil.
5. Set an oven rack 6 inches below the broiler element and turn the broiler to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
6. Heat the frying oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high to 350°F (a panko crumb should sizzle immediately and float). Add the butter and swirl. Fry the cutlets in batches of two, without crowding, for 90 seconds to 2 minutes per side, until deep golden. Thin veal is fully cooked at this point — pull it. Transfer to the wire rack, not paper towels, and season with a pinch of flaky salt.
7. Arrange the fried cutlets on the foil-lined sheet in a single layer. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of warm sauce down the center of each, leaving a wide border of bare crust exposed. Shingle the provolone over the sauced center only and scatter with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
8. Broil 2–3 minutes, watching constantly, until the provolone is bubbling and blistered in spots. Rotate the pan once if your broiler runs hot in one corner.
9. Serve immediately, one or two cutlets per plate, with an extra spoonful of sauce alongside rather than on top, torn basil over the cheese, and a lemon wedge to squeeze over the exposed crust.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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