Saltimbocca alla Romana

Guys. Great news:

The title of today’s recipe translates to…wait for it…

“Leap into the mouth.”

Before unearthing this fascinating fact, I planned on starting things off by saying, “Go on, tell me about something that’s more exciting than the concept of wrapping meat in more meat.” But once I realized that the literal meaning of the name of this Italian dish parallels how insanely delicious it is – well, we’ve hit peak amusement.

And we’re just getting started.

If this hasn’t fully clicked for you yet, this would be like discovering that the word queso translates directly to “land on chips and dive into belly.” Okay, maybe that’s not exactly the same thing… but the point is that this easy Roman feast has plenty of flavor, comes together in no time at all, and ultimately – promises and delivers a dish that’s so good, it jumps on your tongue.

Yay for tongue jumping!

Are you familiar with veal? Here’s my story with the lean meat.

When my parents and sister and I would fly to New Jersey to visit my grandparents, our first dinner stop was always the same. An old-school Italian tavern a town or two over in Summit. My grandparents were loyal customers of Marco Polo for decades, so we always got a warm welcome and a quick table.

Marco Polo was habitually our kickoff setting for the trip, so various uncles, aunts, and cousins (who all resided in nearby burgs) would join in on the marinara-infused merriment.

We each had our regular orders, and it was my Uncle Mitch’s go-to meal that intrigued me the most. While many of us would opt for baked ziti, chicken marsala, or some form of cheesy eggplant, he would proudly partake in veal parmesan.

I spent many Marco Polo outings contemplating asking him for a taste. Slaters participate in the practice of “splitsies” when it comes to sit-down meals, but Mitch eats fast so I often missed my opportunity.

During one particular dinner, I made it my mission to snag a bite before he could wolf down every beautifully battered, red sauce-slathered cutlet and join the clean plate club. The veal was lean, yet juicy and took to its crispy coating beautifully, like the two elements of the dish were meant to be together all along.

That’s the thing about veal. Its delicate, neutral flavor is practically crying out for a few other fabulous elements to accompany it. That being said, the Romans sure knew what they were doing when they manifested the sensational notion of saltimbocca back in the 19th century.

We’ve already covered how much fun the literal translation of saltimbocca is, but let’s talk about the dish itself. In culinary terms, saltimbocca is veal (or sometimes poultry) rolled with herbs and cured Italian ham.

Keep in mind, though, that rolling the three ingredients together as part of the construction isn’t a requirement.

Assembly-wise, many prefer to lay the veal flat and layer on the sage and prosciutto. This is my method of choice as you’ll see in this recipe. Some top the veal with the prosciutto first, then hold the sage in place with toothpicks, so it’s the first component of the dish to hit the pan.

Fried sage is pretty rad. Can’t deny that.

As for me, I’ve found that sandwiching the sage between both meats produces a finished product that’s the best of both worlds, and I garnish the dish with plenty of additional fresh sage as well. I don’t want its verdant color and musky notes to get lost, after all.

As far as flour goes, some dredge and some don’t.

I personally dig a little bit of breading on the outside of the veal. It’s not a crumb coating, but dredging in flour serves to provide a little texture. You can’t go wrong with a bit of extra crunch, and the texture brings me back to those memories of shared plates with my uncle at Marco Polo.

Additionally, when you remove the finished cutlets from the oil and butter duo that’s coating the hot pan, the residual flour and bits of flavor they leave behind add to the depth of the sauce. A little more butter, a few spritzes of fresh lemon juice to cut through the fat and salt, and your masterpiece is complete.

If that doesn’t scream “leap into the mouth” for you, you might want to get your taste buds checked.

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Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Gather your Ingredients and Pound the Veal

On a work surface like a spacious countertop or cutting board, lay out one large piece of plastic wrap. Arrange the veal cutlets on top of the plastic wrap and then cover them with another piece that’s the same size.

Using something heavy like a meat mallet, rolling pin, or a heavy-bottomed cast iron pan, gently pound and flatten the cutlets so they’re all the same thickness, about 1/4 inch.

You want to do this somewhat delicately to make sure you don’t tear the meat. If your veal pieces came as “cutlets,” they’re likely already very thin and only need to be pounded until they’re all the same thickness, so they cook evenly.

Set aside the top piece of plastic wrap since you’ll be using it again.

Season either one or both sides of the cutlets with the pepper. If you plan to season both sides, do this before you layer on the sage and prosciutto. I prefer to only season the bare side, so the side with the herbs and meat isn’t discolored with black specks. This is totally up to you.

Keep in mind that you don’t need to season the veal with salt because the prosciutto is already very salty.

Step 2 – Layer the Sage and Prosciutto

Top each cutlet with 2 of the sage leaves. If you’re working with large leaves, you can place just one in the middle, but if your herbs are more on the small to medium side, use 2 per piece of veal.

Top the sage with a slice of prosciutto, gently pressing it against the veal to adhere, and folding any excess around the other side.

Step 3 – Pound in the Prosciutto and Flour the Veal

Many recipes call for toothpicks to keep the prosciutto in place, and this works well if you want the sage to be on the outside. Since the prosciutto is holding down the sage here, you don’t need toothpicks!

Re-cover the cutlets with the top piece of plastic wrap and gently pound the prosciutto into each cutlet. This will help to ensure that it sticks perfectly.

Place the flour in a large shallow bowl or plate and have an empty plate ready for the floured cutlets. You could use cornstarch instead of flour if you prefer to go with a gluten-free option, and this will result in a thicker sauce.

Seasoning the flour isn’t necessary since the veal is seasoned with pepper and the prosciutto is already salted, but feel free to stir in a few pinches of S&P if you like.

Using tongs, delicately dredge both sides of the veal cutlets in the flour. Give each one a gentle shake to remove any excess flour and then set them aside on the plate.

Step 4 – Fry the Veal

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the olive oil. Once the butter begins to sizzle and turn slightly golden, add the cutlets to the pan a few at a time, prosciutto-side down.

It doesn’t necessarily make a big difference which side you cook first, but I think that crisping up the prosciutto side first adds a little salty flavor and fat to the pan.

You want to fry the veal in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, which would lower the temperature of the oil and lead to steaming and uneven cooking.

Fry for about 1 minute per side, or until the prosciutto side is crisp and the floured side is lightly browned. Veal will become tough if it’s overcooked, and it will cook quickly because it’s so thin.

Transfer the cooked pieces to a clean plate or serving platter prosciutto-side up, and cover with foil to keep them warm while you fry the next batch.

Step 5 – Make the Sauce and Serve

Slice the lemon wedges for the garnish. You can also chop some of the remaining sage for garnish, or decorate the platter with whole leaves.

Deglaze the pan by adding the wine, and scraping any brown bits from the bottom as you pour. Simmer and allow the wine to reduce by about half. This should take about 30 to 45 seconds.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and whisk in the remaining butter until the sauce is rich and glossy. If the sauce seems too thick, a few splashes of hot chicken or vegetable stock or water will thin it out.

Pour the sauce over the cutlets, garnish with sage, and serve with the lemon wedges.