Veal Saltimbocca

Veterans Day. The third one in San Diego. The ceremony at Miramar, the flag, the formation. The same and different. This year, Caleb's first grade class did a Veterans Day project. Each student wrote a letter to a veteran. Caleb wrote to Dad. 'Dear Grandpa. Thank you for being in the Navy. Thank you for helping people. Mama says you are brave. I think you are brave too. I like your tomatoes. Love, Caleb.' I like your tomatoes. The six-year-old's measure of a veteran: bravery and produce. I photographed the letter and sent it to Dad. He called fifteen minutes later. His voice was the voice he gets when something hits him in the chest — the rough-edged, trying-not-to-cry voice. 'He wrote me a letter.' 'He did, Dad.' 'He likes my tomatoes.' 'He does.' 'Tell him...' A pause. The Kevin Abernathy pause that contains volumes. 'Tell him I'm proud of HIM.' The letter is going in the cookbook. Not as a recipe — as an epigraph. The dedication page. 'For Kevin Abernathy, who grew tomatoes and taught me that bravery is standing at the stove when everything is falling apart.' Made pot roast tonight. The Veterans Day pot roast. The annual pot roast. For Dad. For Ryan. For the letter and the tomatoes and the bravery. I like your tomatoes. The simplest, truest thing.

Every Veterans Day I cook something that takes time — something that asks me to stand at the stove and pay attention, because that’s the closest I can get to feeling like I’m honoring what Dad gave. This year, after Caleb’s letter and that rough-edged phone call and the pause that contains volumes, I needed a dinner that felt worthy of all of it — something golden and tender and a little bit sacred. Saltimbocca means “jumps in the mouth” in Italian, and Dad would have loved that, because he always said the best food announces itself before you even take a bite. I made it for him, for Ryan, for the letter that’s going on the dedication page — and for the tomatoes.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 veal cutlets (about 4 oz each), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
4 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
8 fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained (optional)
Fresh sage leaves and lemon wedges, for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the cutlets. Lay veal cutlets flat on a clean surface. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place 2 sage leaves on each cutlet, then lay one slice of prosciutto over the top, pressing gently so it adheres. Secure with a toothpick if needed.
Dredge in flour. Lightly dredge each assembled cutlet — prosciutto side down first — in flour, shaking off any excess. This creates a light crust and helps the pan sauce thicken.
Sear the veal. Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place cutlets prosciutto side down in the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the prosciutto is golden and slightly crisp. Flip and cook the veal side for 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a warm plate and tent loosely with foil.
Build the pan sauce. Pour off any excess fat, leaving the fond in the pan. Add the white wine and let it bubble vigorously, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the wine reduces by half.
Finish the sauce. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly reduced. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and the capers if using. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve immediately. Return the veal to the pan just long enough to coat with the sauce, about 30 seconds. Plate each cutlet with a generous spoonful of sauce spooned over the top. Garnish with fresh sage leaves and a lemon wedge.

Nutrition (per serving)

Veal Saltimbocca — The Veterans Day Dinner That Carries Everything