How to flatten meat for escalopes and schnitzels

What a great outlet for pent-up energy or frustration! beat the living daylights from your chicken, pork or veal escalope.

How to flatten but not bruise

The trick is to soften the meat tissue but not break it and mash into a pulp; otherwise we might as well have bought mince.

Place the cutlet or escalope between two sheets of cling film or parchment. Use a meat mallet with a flat end. If you don't have one use a rolling pin, a large wooden spoon or a soup ladle.

Hammer it - decisively but gently - on one side. Turn the whole thing over inside the foil and hammer down on the other side. Check if the thickness is even and as required, then discard the foil and season your meat.

---

Related recipes

• 

  chicken saltimbocca
• 

  pork katsu
• 

  veal scaloppine
• 

  pork schnitzel