Cotoletta

Cotoletta (Italian: [kotoˈletta]) is an Italian form of breaded cutlet made from veal. The dish originated in France as the côtelette de veau frite (lit. 'fried veal cutlet'), and was created by the chef Joseph Menon in 1735.^[1] Côtelette means 'little rib' in French, referring to the rib that remains attached to the meat during and after cooking.^[2]

The French brought the dish to Italy and Austria during the Napoleonic Wars. The dish became popular in Italy and took the name of côtelette révolution française and then cotoletta.^[3]^[4]

Italy

Lombardy

Cotoletta alla milanese (after its place of origin, Milan) is a fried veal breaded cutlet similar to Wiener schnitzel, but cooked with the bone in. It is traditionally fried in clarified butter. Due to its shape, it is often called oreggia d'elefant in Milanese or orecchia d'elefante in Italian, meaning 'elephant's ear'.^[5]

Emilia-Romagna

Cotoletta alla bolognese (after its place of origin, Bologna) is similar to a milanese, but melted Parmesan cheese and pieces of prosciutto are put overtop of the fried veal cutlet.^[6]

Sicily

Cotoletta alla palermitana (after its place of origin, Palermo) is similar to a milanese, but the veal is brushed with olive oil, and then baked or grilled instead of being fried. The breadcrumb is often mixed with parsley and pecorino cheese and, unlike the milanese cutlet, the palermitana cutlet does not have eggs in its breading.^[7]

Argentina, Peru, and Uruguay

Various breaded meat dishes prepared in Argentina and Peru were inspired by the cotoletta alla milanese and are known as milanesa. In Argentina, Peru, and Uruguay, milanesa a la napolitana is made similar to the cotoletta with a preparation of cheese and tomato.^[8]

References

^ Menon, Joseph (1768). La Science du maître d'hôtel cuisinier, avec des observations sur la connoissance & les propriétés des alimens. Nouvelle édition, revue & corrigée (in French). Paris: Leclerc. p. 57.
^ "cotoletta: definizioni, etimologia e citazioni nel Vocabolario Treccani". www.treccani.it. Retrieved 2023-05-19.
^ "La cotoletta alla milanese? Un regalo della rivoluzione francese..." Il Sole 24 ORE (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-12-25.
^ Kostioukovitch, Elena (2009-10-13). Why Italians Love to Talk About Food: A Journey Through Italy's Great Regional Cuisines, From the alps to Sicily. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-1-4299-3559-3.
^ "I trucchi per fare una cotoletta alla milanese perfetta, croccante fuori e succosa dentro". Esquire (in Italian). 6 November 2019.
^ "Cotoletta alla bolognese" (in Italian). accademiaitalianadellacucina.it.
^ "La cotoletta alla palermitana" (in Italian). corriere.it. 10 July 2012.
^ Receta de Milanesa a la napolitana Recetas Gratis. Retrieved: 2012-11-09. (in Spanish)

[1] Menon, Joseph (1768). La Science du maître d'hôtel cuisinier, avec des observations sur la connoissance & les propriétés des alimens. Nouvelle édition, revue & corrigée (in French). Paris: Leclerc. p. 57.

[2] "cotoletta: definizioni, etimologia e citazioni nel Vocabolario Treccani". www.treccani.it. Retrieved 2023-05-19.

[3] "La cotoletta alla milanese? Un regalo della rivoluzione francese..." Il Sole 24 ORE (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-12-25.

[4] Kostioukovitch, Elena (2009-10-13). Why Italians Love to Talk About Food: A Journey Through Italy's Great Regional Cuisines, From the alps to Sicily. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-1-4299-3559-3.

[5] "I trucchi per fare una cotoletta alla milanese perfetta, croccante fuori e succosa dentro". Esquire (in Italian). 6 November 2019.

[6] "Cotoletta alla bolognese" (in Italian). accademiaitalianadellacucina.it.

[7] "La cotoletta alla palermitana" (in Italian). corriere.it. 10 July 2012.

[8] Receta de Milanesa a la napolitana Recetas Gratis. Retrieved: 2012-11-09. (in Spanish)

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