Fettine
I've had a lot of people ask me what fettine is, so I thought I'd explain it here and include a recipe on how to make it. Fettine is a thin cut of beef that is often fried. My favourite way to eat it is breaded and fried and served with some of my homemade tomato sauce. It's great with pasta or on a sandwich with lots of mushrooms, onions, hot peppers and of course, tomato sauce! I sometimes make it with tomato sauce and cheese melted on top - parmigiana style. Make sure you have some good hot sauce on hand - it goes well with the fettine.
I don't have a standard recipe I follow - it's just one of those things I could probably make in my sleep. If you want a super tender cutlet, soak the beef in milk for about half an hour before making.
Ingredients
1-2lbs fettine (sometimes called roulade)
flour
salt and pepper
eggs
seasoned Italian bread crumbs (or make your own)
Method
In a shallow bowl such as a pie plate, crack two eggs and beat with a fork. Pour approximately 1 cup of flour onto a separate plate and season with salt and pepper. On another plate, pour approximately 2 cups of seasoned bread crumbs. (You may need more eggs, flour and bread crumbs - just gage as you go). You now have to assemble your coating station. Line up your flour plate, egg bowl and crumb plate in order from left to right. Take a piece of fettine and dip it in the flour, coating each piece evenly and shaking off the excess. Next, dip it in the beaten egg to coat. Place the egg dipped piece into the bread crumbs to coat, gently pressing so the crumbs adhere to the meat. Gently shake off the excess and place on a piece of waxed or parchment paper. Repeat for the rest of the meat.
Heat a fry pan (preferably a cast iron pan) with enough oil in the bottom to coat the pan well. add more as needed to fry the meat. Fry each piece until each side is nicely browned - this will only take a few minutes. Place on a paper towel lined plate to drain when finished frying. Serve with pasta, on a sandwich or just with some nicely sautéed veggies.