Veal Leg: Cutlets, Scaloppine, and Roasts

The leg is the big, lean back end of the calf, and it is the source of the thin cutlets that carry some of the most famous veal dishes in the world. Wiener schnitzel, veal piccata, saltimbocca, and veal Marsala all start here. The leg also gives you rump and round roasts and cubes for kebabs. It is lean, mild, and versatile, and once you know how to handle it, it is one of the most useful cuts in the whole veal case.

Where it comes from

Veal leg is the hind leg, the same region that gives beef its round. It is a large group of lean muscles: the top round, the eye of round, the sirloin tip, and the rump. Because these muscles are big and fine grained, they slice cleanly into broad, thin cutlets. The top round is the prize, since it gives the widest, most tender cutlets for scaloppine and schnitzel. The rest of the leg roasts well and cubes nicely for stews and skewers.

What it tastes like

Lean and mild, with a clean flavor that takes on sauces beautifully. The leg has less connective tissue than the shoulder and less fat than the breast, so its character comes from what you do with it. Pounded thin and breaded, it turns crisp and golden. Simmered in a pan sauce of lemon and capers or Marsala and mushrooms, it soaks up flavor while staying tender. This adaptability is exactly why the leg anchors so many classic recipes.

How to cook veal leg

It depends on the form. For cutlets, slice the top round across the grain, lay each slice between two sheets of parchment or reusable silicone, and pound it thin with a mallet. Thin cutlets cook in two to three minutes total in a hot pan, so have everything ready before the meat goes in. For a schnitzel, dredge in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs and shallow fry until golden. For piccata or Marsala, dust the cutlet in flour, sear quickly, then build a pan sauce and return the meat for a moment to finish.

For roasts, treat a leg or rump roast gently. Sear the outside, then roast at a moderate heat and pull at about 145F, resting before you carve across the grain. Cubes from the leg can be skewered and grilled fast or braised slowly, depending on the dish. Whatever the form, the lean meat punishes overcooking, so keep a thermometer close and move quickly with the thin cuts. We pound between parchment or reusable silicone rather than plastic wrap, and we fry in a metal or cast iron pan. See our pan searing guide for the cutlet technique.

The classic dishes explained

Four famous dishes all start with a leg cutlet, and knowing the difference helps you cook them. Wiener schnitzel is breaded in flour, egg, and crumbs, then shallow fried until crisp and golden, and served simply with lemon. Veal piccata skips the breading, dusting the cutlet in flour before a quick sear and a bright pan sauce of lemon, butter, and capers. Saltimbocca lays prosciutto and sage over the cutlet, pins it, and pan fries it, finishing with a splash of wine. Veal Marsala trades the lemon for sweet or dry Marsala and a pile of mushrooms. Same cut, four directions, all fast.

Storage and make-ahead

Cutlets are best cooked fresh, but you can prep ahead. Pound and stack them between parchment or reusable silicone, then keep them covered in the fridge for a day. Breaded cutlets can be breaded an hour or two ahead and chilled so the coating sets, which helps it stay put in the pan. Cooked cutlets lose their crispness as they sit, so serve them promptly. A leg roast keeps for three days, sliced and wrapped, and its leftovers are excellent cold or gently warmed. Freeze raw cutlets flat, layered with parchment, and thaw them in the fridge.

Common mistakes

Cutting cutlets with the grain instead of across it makes them chewy no matter how thin you pound them, so find the grain first. Pounding too hard tears the meat, so use steady, even taps. Crowding the pan drops the temperature and steams the breading instead of crisping it, so cook in batches. And overcooking a roast dries it out fast, since the leg is so lean, so pull it early and let carryover finish the job.

How to buy it

For cutlets, ask for top round cut across the grain into even slices. For a roast, ask for a rump or leg roast, boneless and tied. Look for pale, firm meat with fine grain and clean fat. As with all veal, ask whether it is milk-fed or pasture-raised rose veal. We favor rose veal for its flavor and its farming, and our Find a Farmer directory helps you source it near you.

Frequently asked questions

What veal cut is used for schnitzel and scaloppine?

The leg, specifically the top round, sliced across the grain and pounded thin. It gives the broad, tender cutlets these dishes need.

How thin should veal cutlets be?

About a quarter inch, pounded evenly. Thin and even means fast, uniform cooking and a tender bite.

Can I roast a veal leg?

Yes. Sear it, roast at moderate heat, pull at 145F, rest, and carve across the grain. Keep it from overcooking, because the leg is very lean.

Good substitutes

Pork cutlets from the loin are the standard swap for veal cutlets and take breading and pan sauces the same way. Turkey and chicken breast, sliced and pounded thin, make a leaner stand-in for schnitzel or piccata, though they cook a touch faster and can dry out. For scaloppine, thin slices of beef top round work if you cook them quickly and slice across the grain. In each case the technique carries over: pound thin, cut across the grain, and cook fast and hot.

Nutrition

Veal leg is very lean and high in protein, with iron, zinc, and B vitamins and little fat. A plain pan-seared cutlet is about as lean as meat gets. Breading and shallow frying, as in a schnitzel, add flour, egg, and oil, which raise the calorie and carbohydrate count, so a simple lemon-and-herb treatment keeps the plate lighter if that is your aim.

Learn more

Back to the Veal Meat Wiki and the full veal cuts guide. For the other tender, quick-cooking veal cut, see the veal loin, or find good veal through Find a Farmer.