Cotoletta

For decades, Ralph and Santina DeLuca warmly greeted Cincinnati locals and visiting sports legends at Sorrento’s Pizza. Today, their daughter, Esa DeLuca Stewart, says the aroma of garlic and fresh olive oil sautéing still rekindles warm memories of her parents’ landmark restaurant!

Esa (Ee-sah) shares her Neapolitan family’s version of cotoletta (coh-toe-let-tah), a thinly sliced sirloin, breaded and sautéed to golden perfection in fresh olive oil, which they enjoyed together at home along with peppers and potatoes, crusty Tuscan bread, and perhaps a glass of hearty Chianti.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons fresh EVOO
• 1 clove garlic, sliced very thin
• 4 four ounce sirloin steaks (sliced very thin)
• 1¼ cup flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano
• 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley,
• finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

Add olive oil to large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; heat until garlic begins to turn color. Use fork to remove garlic from hot oil. Salt and pepper both sides of each steak. Dredge thinly sliced steak in flour, egg wash, and then breadcrumbs.

Gently place into hot oil; sauté until golden brown on both sides, about 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and plate with potatoes and peppers (see below). Dust steaks with grated Parmigiano Reggiano, sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon wedges; serve immediately.

Potatoes and Peppers

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons fresh EVOO
• 1 clove garlic, sliced very thin
• 1 large red bell pepper (sliced thin)
• 1 pound small red new potatoes (washed and steamed)

Instructions

Add olive oil to large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; heat until garlic begins to turn color. Use fork to remove garlic from oil. Add sliced bell pepper; briefly sauté until softened. Add potatoes. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching; add more olive oil if sticking. Remove from heat.

About Cotoletta

In Italian, cotoletta (coh-toe-let-tah) means breaded cutlet. The dish originated in Milano, where it is traditionally prepared with veal cutlet and sautéed in butter. As the popular dish migrated to other parts of Italy,it evolved to feature other meats, including pork and lamb. In southern regions, olive

oil replaced butter for sautéing. In Sicily, atraditional variation is brushed with melted lard and grilled.