We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Culinary

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Is Veal Saltimbocca?

By Eugene P.
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 9,368
Share

Veal saltimbocca is an Italian dish that involves cooking flat pieces of veal with slices of prosciutto, sage and sometimes cheese. The leftover pieces of meat in the pan are turned into a pan sauce with white wine and chilled butter. A Roman-style version of veal saltimbocca has the pieces of veal rolled with a few additional spices and then cooked, creating small, compact cylinders of meat. The dish can be served with pasta such as spaghetti, polenta or baked potatoes.

Perhaps as one would expect, veal is one of the most important ingredients in veal saltimbocca. It needs to be very thin for it to cook all the way through without burning. Commonly called scaloppini when prepared in this way, veal cutlets are placed between two sheets of wax paper or in a plastic bag. With a heavy instrument that has a broad surface area, the meat is repeatedly hammered from the center to the edges to flatten out the piece so it is as uniform in thickness as possible.

To prepare the veal for cooking, a piece of very thinly cut prosciutto is placed on one side of the cutlet. Fresh sage leaves are then arranged down the center on top of the prosciutto. Toothpicks or a long skewer can be used to secure the sage and prosciutto so the cutlet can be moved and cooked without pieces falling off into the pan. If fresh sage is not available, then finely crushed dried sage can be used by rubbing it into the surface of the veal. The entire piece is then dredged lightly with regular flour, forming a thin coating on each side.

Each piece of veal is placed in a hot pan with olive oil in the bottom with the prosciutto side down first. After a few minutes of cooking, the cutlets are turned. Some veal saltimbocca recipes call for cheese such as fontina, mozzarella or provolone to then be placed on top of each piece and allowed to melt as the meat finishes cooking.

When the veal saltimbocca is done, it is removed from the pan. Using white wine, the bottom of the pan is deglazed so all of the small remaining bits of the veal are scraped up. The white wine is reduced, after which butter is slowly added until the sauce becomes thick and glossy.

Veal saltimbocca can be served on a plate with the pan sauce drizzled over top of it. Popular accompaniments include fresh pasta with a butter sage sauce, polenta garnished with parsley, or a tomato salad with fresh herbs. The Roman variation is made and served in a nearly identical way, except that any cheese is rolled inside the veal, and thyme is often added to the meat.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-veal-saltimbocca.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.