Costoletta alla valdostana

What is it about a cutlet that’s so incredibly satisfying for so many people? It’s hard to say with certainty, but. my guess is that appealing contrast in textures between the crispy breaded crust and the soft and moist inside. It’s one of the reasons why the classic cotoletta alla milanese is one of Milan’s most beloved dishes.

Well, costoletta alla valdostana from the nearby Val d’Aosta region takes that conceit to the next level. Anything labled alla valdostana will often include ham and cheese, and this dish is no exception. This bone in cutlet is first split open and stuffed with a slice of ham and several of fontina cheese, which produces a creamy, nutty and savory interior that contrasts beautifully with its golden brown crust.

I’ve made a couple of substitutions in this recipe. Traditionally a costoletta alla valdostana is made with a veal rib chop. But given the price of veal these days—one local supermarket charges a cool $33 for a single chop!—I opted for pork instead. The classic recipe also has you fry the chops entirely in butter. But given the amount of fat required, I opted for a mix of (mostly) vegetable oil to which I’ve added a generous knob of butter for flavor. This mix is also less likely to burn.

Either way, costoletta alla valdostana is worth a try. To my mind, it’s the ultimate bone in cutlet.

Ingredients

Per person

• I veal (or pork) rib chop

for the filling:

• 25g (1 oz) fontina cheese (or another meltable Alpine cheese), thinly sliced
• 1 slice of cooked ham

for the breading:

• all purpose flour, as much as needed
• 1-2 eggs, beaten
• breadcrumbs, as much as needed

for frying:

• Vegetable oil
• A large knob of butter

Directions

Prep the chop

Trim off any fat or gristle from around the edges of your chop.

Now, very carefully cut the filet in half [heightwise] almost but not quite all the way to the bone, so that the fillet opens like a book.

Gently pound each flap of the filet with a meat pounder with outward motion from the bone.

Filling the chop

Lay on a slice of ham and then a few slices of fontina, enough to cover one flap but leaving a perimeter around the edges.

Close the flap and then very gently pound the chop once more to seal the two flaps together.

Breading the chop

Lay out three shallow plates with flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs.

Holding the chop with both hands and pinching the two flaps together, very gingerly dip the chop first in the flour, then the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs, making sure that it is well covered on both sides each time. Press the breadcrumbs into the meat so it adheres well.

Browning the chop

In a skillet large just enough to hold the chop, over medium-low heat vegetable oil enough to come up about 1/2 the height of your chop, along with a large knob of butter.

When the butter has completely melted and ceases bubbling, gingerly lay in the chop. Sauté until it is golden browned on one side, about 5 minutes, then turn it and brown the other side as well for another 5 minutes or so.

Serve

Serve your chop right away, or keep warm until you’re ready to serve.

Notes on costoletta alla valdostana

The recipe for costoletta alla valdostana involves quite a few steps, but there are only a couple of tricky bits to watch out for. The first involves making sure the two flaps of meat don’t come apart. You need to handle the uncooked split chop with some care. Once the breading cooks, it should bind them together nicely.

The other involves regulating your burner so the chop has time to cook through on both sides and the cheese filling melt but the breading doesn’t burn. As mentioned here, you’ll need a good 4 or 5 minutes per side. (Of course, the more you manage to flatten your chop, the quicker it will cook.) Setting your flame to medium or medium-low should do the trick, but do lower the heat further if you see the breading brown too quickly. If all else fails and you find the meat is too pink for your taste, you can pop the chop in a low oven, say 150C/300F, for a few minutes to finish it cooking.

Choosing your meat

As mentioned at the top, veal is the classic meat for making a costoletta alla valdostana, but if you can’t find a veal chop or, like me, you find the price just too extravagant, then a rib pork chop will provide an acceptable substitute. The meat won’t be quite as tender, but it provides a fine, mild flavor that works well in this recipe. Make sure to use a rib chop, as you need that bone to hold the two flaps together. A loin chop won’t work as the bone is in the middle.

For North American readers, refer to our post on cotoletta alla milanese for tips on choosing and treating North American veal.

Choosing your cheese

There are many so called fontina cheeses in the market today, but the classic and best for making costoletta alla valdostana is Fontina Val d’Aosta DOP, which has been made in Val d’Aosta region since the 12th century. It really is second to none, much finer, nuttier flavor than the various other fontinas. The commonly found type wtih the red rind is not real thing.

That said, you can turn out a perfectly edible costoletta with another meltable Alpine cheese like Emmenthal, gruyere or raclette. Perhaps change the name to costoletta Cordon Bleu, the other common moniker for dishes with ham and cheese other than a true fontina.

Variations

In some recipes you omit the ham and use only the cheese for the filling.

You can use this method to make a boneless cutlet called cotoletta alla valdostana (without the s). You place the two boneless cutlets, pounded thin, one on top of the other, with the filling in between. With a cotoletta, you can branch out into other meats as well, like chicken or turkey breast cutlets.

A quick little language lesson: a cotoletta is the Italian word for a boneless cutlet. Costoletta with an s means a bone in cutlet or chop. (From costola, which means rib.) With one notable exception—although technically incorrect, cotoletta alla milanese usually refers to a breaded chop with the bone in.

You can also make life easier for yourself by laying the ham and cheese on top of a single cutlet after it’s browned on both sides, the cover and let it cook gently for a few minutes, until the cheese melts. Here you can forego the breading and just lightly flour the cutlet on both sides.

Making costoletta alla valdostana ahead

You can prep the chop up up and though the breading, then brown it when you want to eat. This is the best way to do it, as it ensure a ince crisp crust.

If you must make this dish entirely ahead, gently reheat your chop in a very low oven (90C/200F) for about 10-15 minutes. It won’t be as nice and juicy as a freshly browned chop, but it will be perfectly edible.