In the culinary arts, the term cutlet is used to refer to a boneless, thin cut of meat—chicken, veal, pork, or lamb—that cooks very quickly and is usually pan-fried. Most cutlets are made by pounding the meat until theres even thinness and are often dusted with flour or coated in breadcrumbs before cooking. The classic veal piccata, as well as chicken piccata, is made from veal and chicken cutlets, respectively.
In cooking terms, a “cutlet” of meat — chicken, pork, beef, lamb, turkey — refers to a thin cut of meat usually taken from the leg or rib section (with fowl, sometimes the breast) of the animal. Commonly, cutlets are pounded even thinner before being quickly cooked over high heat.
Creation
What makes a cutlet a cutlet is pounding the meat until it has even thinness. Pounding the cutlet flattens it, which in turn makes it cook more quickly, an advantage since the meat is usually from a tougher section of the animal, and shouldnt be cooked any longer than necessary or else it will turn out chewy and inedible.
If you are using thick cuts to meat to make cutlets, you can simply place the meat on a cutting board between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a meat mallet or other tool such as a rolling pin, pound the meat, making sure to apply even pressure and cover the entire piece so it results in an even thickness.
Types
When producing cutlets, the meat is usually taken from the leg or rib section of veal, pork, or lamb, while chicken and turkey are from the breast. Pork is a convenient meat for making cutlets because the shape of the loin lends itself to producing thin cuts of uniform size and shape.
Veal cutlets may also be labeled as “scallops” or “scallopini.” On restaurant menus or in cookbooks you may see cutlets described as schnitzel, a traditional Austrian dish where cutlets are dredged in flour and then coated in egg and breadcrumbs and fried; Weiner schnitzel is made from veal, in which case it is usually made from center cuts from the leg muscle. While the meat itself is tender, it must still be carefully fabricated to remove any connective tissue that could be chewy after its cooked. Conversely, cutlets made from chicken and turkey come from the breast, which is already tender.
How to Cut Veal Cutlets – Technique Video
FAQ
What kind of meat is a beef cutlet?
Are beef cutlets the same as cube steak?
What is the difference between a cutlet and a steak?
What is considered a cutlet?
What is a Beef Cutlet?
However, what defines a cutlet is that it’s made from a thin slice of meat, not the fact that it’s dredged and fried. Although beef is not one of the meats made into cutlets, beef cube steak, which is used for making chicken-fried steak or Swiss steak, is sometimes referred to as a beef cutlet.
Which meats should one avoid?
You should limit or avoid processed meat products such as sausages, salami, pate and beefburgers, because these are generally high in fat and salt. Also limit meat products in pastry, such as pies and sausage rolls. Choose lean cuts, if you are buying pre-packed meat, check the nutrition label to see how much fat it contains and compare products. Prepare turkey and chicken without the skin, as these are lower in fat (or remove the skin before cooking).
What meat is used to make cutlets?
While beef is not one of the meats used to make cutlets, it is occasionally used to refer to the beef cube steak used to make chicken-fried steak or Swiss steak. Typically, a thin piece of beef round primal is used to make cube steak, which is then put through a mechanical tenderizer to give it the distinctive cube-shaped marks.
What makes a meat a cutlet?
While the meat itself is tender, it must still be carefully fabricated to remove any connective tissue that could be chewy after it’s cooked. Conversely, cutlets made from chicken and turkey come from the breast, which is already tender. What makes a cutlet a cutlet is pounding the meat until it has even thinness.