Does it have to be bone-in?
For a true costoletta alla Milanese, yes. The bone signals the cut (rib chop) and helps the meat stay juicy at a thicker profile. A boneless version is Milanese-style — good, but a different dish.
Italian · dinner
Cotoletta alla Milanese — Clarified Butter, One Flip, Perfect Crust
#italian#milanese#veal#dinner#pan-fried
32m
Total time
2
Servings
640
kcal
medium
Difficulty
Jun 19, 2026
INGREDIENTS.
2
Meat
- 2 pieces (~350 g each) bone-in veal rib chops (costoletta)
Dairy
- 2 eggs
- 100 ml clarified butter
- 30 g Parmigiano Reggiano
Pantry
- 120 g fine Italian breadcrumbs
- to taste fine sea salt
Produce
- 40 g wild rocket (arugula)
- 1 lemon
THE METHOD.
tap to check off
0/9 done
FAQ · Things people ask
About this recipe.
Can I use regular butter instead of clarified?
You can try, but the milk solids in whole butter burn before the cutlet is done. You'll get dark, slightly bitter specks across the crust. Clarify your own in 10 minutes, or use ghee as a direct shortcut.
Why no flour before the egg?
Flour is standard in many breaded-cutlet recipes, but here it creates a thicker adhesion layer that steams rather than fries — the crust softens and can separate. The authentic sequence is dry meat → egg → fine breadcrumbs, pressed firm.
Can I use chicken or pork instead of veal?
Chicken breast (cotoletta di pollo) is a common home adaptation. Pork rib chops work too. The technique is identical — watch internal temps since chicken needs 74 °C and pork 71 °C.
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