A coat of crispy-fried breading helps veal cutlets stay juicy while cooking, preserving the subtle flavors and tenderness for which veal is known. The national dish of Austria, wiener schnitzel, is a breaded, fried veal cutlet commonly served with potatoes, salad or spaetzle, a German dumpling dish. Breaded, fried veal cutlets also appear in Italian cuisine, as veal parmigiana. Even with slight variations in the breading ingredients, the frying process is the same.

Slice the veal cutlets as thin as possible if necessary. Try a butterfly cut in which you make a horizontal cut nearly all the way through the midline of the meat, stopping short of the bone or edge. Open the meat with the hinge created by not cutting all the way through. Typical cuts for veal cutlets include veal scaloppine and veal eye round.

Pound the cutlets flat and to an even thickness with a meat mallet. This step is essential for even cooking throughout the cutlet.

Coat the cutlets lightly with flour to help absorb liquid. Dip the coated cutlets in beaten egg or milk, or a mixture of both. Transfer the wet cutlets to a bowl or plate filled with breadcrumbs, either Italian style, plain or panko. Ensure the breading covers the entire veal cutlet but do not press the breading onto the meat.

Preheat cooking, oil, shortening or lard in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. The oil should be deep enough for the cutlets to swim around the pan so they stay hot and cook evenly.

Place the veal cutlets in the skillet, leaving at least 1 inch between pieces so you can move them easily.

Fry the veal cutlets for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on the first side. Lift the corner after 1 1/2 minutes and fry for another 30 seconds if the breading isn't yet golden brown. Handle the cutlets with tongs to keep the breading on the meat. Flip the cutlets and fry for another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until golden brown on the second side.

Transfer the fried veal cutlets from the skillet to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the grease.