Saveur: Piccata di Vitello al Limone (Veal Piccata)

I'm not a huge pasta lover, so whenever I start feeling like something Italian to eat, I look towards more of the meat dish end of the spectrum.  Normally I'm up for whatever chicken cutlet they have on the menu, but sometimes I'm just in the mood for something a little fancier.  And nothing is quite as tender and delicious as veal.  I found some good scaloppini at the grocery store, so I decided to do it up right in a classic veal piccata.  Serve with pasta, if you must.

Piccata di Vitello al Limone (Veal Piccata)
From Saveur: The New Classics Cookbook

Twelve 2- to 3-ounce veal top round cutlets (or chicken breast or turkey cutlets), pounded until ¼-inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
½ cup dry white wine
1¼ cups homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth
1 lemon, preferably organic, thinly sliced and seeded
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup capers, drained
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

Season the veal on both sides with the salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess. Place the cutlets on a plate.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter and the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the veal cutlets to the skillet, being careful not to crowd the skillet. Cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes total. (If using chicken or turkey, cook until no trace of pink remains, about 3 minutes per side.) Transfer to a serving platter or a baking sheet and loosely cover while you repeat with the remaining veal. If necessary, add more butter and oil to the skillet.

Carefully add the wine to the skillet and cook, still over medium-high heat and scraping the bottom of the skillet, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and lemon slices and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, capers, and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and tilt the pan to swirl the butter until it’s incorporated into the sauce.

Using tongs, place the cutlets back in the skillet, turn to coat them with the sauce, and let them warm through before transferring the cutlets to plates or a platter. Pour the remaining sauce over the cutlets and serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings