What’s for dinner? Saltimbocca Plus

The other day O’s mom gave me some fresh sage that she’s got growing on the windowsill. What’s the best thing to make with fresh sage? Saltimbocca! If you’ve got a windowsill, it’s worth growing some sage, just to make this recipe.
The name saltimbocca comes from the words salta in bocca or jumps in the mouth. I guess they came up with the name because it’s so good it just jumps in your mouth. Most recipes call for veal, but I make it with regular beef. Why? Well, basically because veal is expensive and the butcher here in town doesn’t carry it unless it’s special ordered. But, when I’ve got sage, I can’t wait to special order and, believe me, even with regular old beef, this recipe is delicious. In fact, beef is more flavorful than veal, so I think it actually tastes better.

While we were making the saltimbocca, O asked if we could try making it with ventricina. Ever willing to experiment with recipes, I said, “why not?” and a new delicious recipe was born. We’ll call it Involtini Palmolesi. Of course, since it was O’s idea we could name them after him too.
But first, let’s talk about the saltimbocca. You should definitely try this one. It’s delicious and very easy to make.

You’ll need:

Thin beef cutlets
sliced prosciutto crudo
fresh sage leaves
4 tablspoons butter (divided 2 + 2)
olive oil
1/2 cup white wine

I didn’t give exact amounts on the cutlets, prosciutto and sage because it really depends on how many you want to make. Suffice it to say that for each piece you’ll need one beef cutlet, 1 slice of prosciutto crudo and 1-3 sage leaves depending on the size of the leaves.

If you can get your beef at the butcher, have him slice it thin. If not, get the thinnest beef cutlets that you can find. You’ll then need to pound them thin with a meat mallet.

Now, spread one cutlet out, place one to three sage leaves on it, then one slice of prosciutto (folding the slice of prosciutto if necessary). Then fold the cutlet in half like a book with the prosciutto and sage inside and secure it with a toothpick. I do not put any salt on these because prosciutto crudo is very salty to begin with so I don’t find it necessary to add any extra salt.

Here’s what they look like before they’re cooked (the rolled up ones are the involtini).

Now, let’s get cooking. Heat a large frying pan and melt the two tablespoons of butter along with a tablespoon of olive oil. (The olive oil helps keep the butter from getting too brown). Saute the cutlets over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side. They’re thin so should cook quickly. Once they have all been cooked, remove them to a platter and keep warm.

Keep the pan hot and add the white wine, stirring with a wooden spoon to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Then whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Once melted, return the cutlets to the pan to reheat. Serve hot with sauce spooned over the top. (Watch out for the toothpick when you’re eating them.)

Here they are all cooked up in the pan.

Now, for the Involtini Palmolesi, I used ventricina instead of prosciutto. Since ventricina is somewhat crumbly, I figured it would fall out if I just folded the cutlet, so instead I rolled it up and secured it with a toothpick. I then cooked them along with the saltimbocca.

Let me tell you, they were yummy. The spiciness of the ventricina and it’s red pepper flavor oozed into the meat. I know, most of you may not be able to find ventricina. But, if you can, it’s worth trying. I’m adding this to my list of favorites. Here’s a picture of one cut in half.

And yes, for those of you who may be wondering. Prosciutto crudo and ventricina are on the list of foods that are not to be eaten during pregnancy. However, if it’s cooked, I can eat it. So, besides the perfect thing to do with sage, it was also my opportunity to have some prosciutto.

Related posts:

1. Sausage Ragù Usually when I make pasta it’s fairly light, with vegetables...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.