Veal Milanese: History, Information, Interesting Facts

The origins of Veal Milanese.

Over the years, the search for the true origins of Veal Milanese has caused a large number of controversies, not least the one relating to its connection with another specialty that, in some respects, is quite similar: the ‘Wiener Schnitzel’.
At present, the oldest evidence relating to the Milanese delicacy is a list of courses served in 1134 to the monks of the Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio (*1), to which the writer Pietro Verri refers in his ‘History of Milan’ (*2). This list contains, among the rest, the ‘lombolos cum panitio’, considered by many a primitive form of the Veal Milanese.
Although the nature of the ‘lombolos’ has been largely endorsed (*3), a good number of scholars still questions it, thus reopening the long-standing diatribe.
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Veal Milanese, ‘Schnitzel’ and the letter from Count Attems.

As already mentioned, the origins of Veal Milanese have always been controversial. One of the main consequences of the lack of reliable information has been the emergence of a long-standing, mostly unjustified, dispute to determine whether the recipe for Wiener Schnitzel, the ‘Viennese cutlet’, derives from that of Veal Milanese or vice versa.
The supporters of the primacy of Vial Milanese often refer, as proof, to a letter sent by Count Attems, aide-de-camp to Franz Joseph, in which the Austrian nobleman, as a side note of a report on the work of Marshal Radetzky, would have expressed such praises towards the Milanese specialty to entice the emperor to introduce it in his own country.

This story, although undoubtedly fascinating, can be considered nothing more than a legend, especially in light of these facts:

There is no trace of the letter in any archive;
Although the noble Attems family exists, no Count Attems has ever been aide-de-camp to Emperor Franz Joseph;

It would also be good to reflect upon the fact that the emperor, very busy at the time with the turbulent Milan, could hardly have had the chance (or the will) to ‘sponsor’ a recipe, no matter how exquisite.

Possible French origins for Veal Milanese.

An interesting hypothesis, that should not be underestimated, has taken hold recently among some historians: according to it, the recipe for Veal Milanese may have French origins. This shouldn’t surprise too much, considering that the name itself of the Italian specialty, ‘costoletta’, derives from the French ‘côtelette’. These scholars think that a specialty similar to Veal Milanese could have been part of French culinary tradition since, at least, the first half of the 18th century: its introduction in Milan would have happened with the arrival in the city of Napoleon’s soldiers engaged in the Italian Campaign.

‘Cotoletta’ or ‘Costoletta’?

As already mentioned in this article, Veal Milanese is one of those specialties whose origins are extremely uncertain. This has caused, over the years, many disputes, such as the one concerning its name.

Two are currently the names that can be used for Veal Milanese in the Italian language:
‘Cotoletta’: a generic term that refers both to the classic recipe, using meat including bone, and to the one using meat without the bone.
‘Costoletta’: a term that refers only to the classic recipe using meat including bone.
The citizens of Milan often use the dialectal term ‘cotelètta’ (pronounced ‘cutulèta’) to indicate the specialty.

Veal Milanese and Wiener Schnitzel compared.

At present, and at least until documents more reliable than the letter of Count Attems will be found, it’s impossible to establish with precision which of the two cutlets, the Veal Milanese and the Wiener Schnitzel, can boast the oldest tradition. It follows that it’s equally impossible to understand whether one derives from the other. What can be done is to compare the two specialties: a useful exercise to highlight the specific characteristics distinguishing each of them.

Here follows the list of the main differences between the two specialties:

Meat:

Veal Milanese: Only veal chops from the loin (including bone).
Wiener Schnitzel: Veal meat from the rump or the flank (without bone). Pork meat is used for the ‘Wiener Schnitzel vom Schwein’, chicken meat for the ‘Huhnerschnitzel’.
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Bolognese cutlet.

A particular type of cutlet is prepared in Bologna. This cutlet (made with chicken or veal), after being fried in lard, is:
Covered with ham;
Garnished with flakes of Parmesan cheese;
Wet with meat broth;
Put in the oven until the cheese has melted and the broth has dried.

Cutlets in the world.

Milan, one of the most important Italian cities, true heart of the country’s economy, is the county seat of Lombardy Region.

THE MOST TRADITIONAL RESTAURANT

It’s quite difficult to determine which is the most ancient Milanese restaurant preparing Veal Milanese. Until we find it out, please refer to the following list including some of the most traditional places.
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Antica Trattoria della Pesa
Viale Pasubio, 10 – 20154 Milan (Italy)
Official website
Trattoria del Nuovo Macello
Via Cesare Lombroso, 20 – 20137 Milan (Italy)
Official website
Osteria Brunello
Corso Garibaldi, 117 – 20121 Milan (Italy)
Official website

The preparation of Veal Milanese.

A selection of fascinating waltzes are most probably the best choice to accompany the reading of this article:

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What to drink with a Milanese cutlet?
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A good choice is a red sparkling wine, fresh, quite tasty, medium warm and quite tannic. For example a ‘Bonarda’ from Oltrepò Pavese (DOC).
The acidity, the effervescence and the saltiness balance the fat of the butter and the sweet tendency of the fried bread coating.
The alcohol and the tannicity balance the succulence of the meat and the greasiness of the frying.

The Wiener Shnitzel is often accompanied by a Weizenbier, the famous German wheat beer.