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VEAL ROLLS WITH PANCETTA AND PARMESAN
Serves 4
1 pound veal scaloppine cut from the top round, and flattened
1/4 pound pancetta, sliced very, very thin
5 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Sturdy round toothpicks
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
l/2 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup fresh, ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or canned Italian plum
tomatoes, cut up, with their juice
1. Trim the scaloppine so that they are approximately 5 inches long and
3 1/2 to 4 inches wide. Try not to end up with bits of meat left over that
you can't use. It does not really matter if some pieces are irregular: It's
better to use them than to waste them.
2. Lay the scaloppine flat and over each spread enough pancetta to cover.
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and roll up the scaloppine tightly into compact
rolls. Fasten the rolls with a toothpick inserted lengthwise so that the
meat can be turned in the pan. If any pancetta is left over, chop it very
fine and set aside.
3. Put 1 tablespoon of butter and all the oil in a skillet and turn on the
heat to medium high. When the butter foam begins to subside, put in the
veal rolls, and turn them to brown them deeply all over. Transfer to a warm
plate, using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove all the toothpicks, and
sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper.
4. If you had set aside some chopped pancetta, put it in the skillet and
cook it over medium heat for about 1 minute, then add the wine. Let the
wine simmer steadily for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes while using a wooden spoon to
loosen cooking residues from the bottom and sides of the pan. Add the tomatoes,
stir thoroughly, and adjust heat to cook for a minute or so at a steady
simmer until the fat separates from the tomato.
5. Return the veal rolls to the pan, warming them up for a few minutes and
turning them in the sauce from time to time. Take off heat, swirl in the
remaining tablespoon of butter, then turn out the entire contents of the
pan onto a warm platter and serve at once.
Ahead-of-time note:
These veal rolls don't take that long to do and they
taste best when served the moment they are made. If you must make them in
advance, cook them through to the end up to several hours ahead of time,
then reheat gently in their sauce.
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