Many recipes ask for escalopes of meat, however there is some confusion over what an escalope actually is.
So what is an Escalope? An escalope is a thin cut slice of lean meat that has been pounded flatter with a meat mallet to increase the surface size and make more tender. Often escalopes are coated with breadcrumbs and fried, topped with a filling and rolled into a roulade, or served with a sauce.
Why Are Escalopes So Popular?
Escalopes offer great versatility for the cook to prepare lots of wonderful tasty dishes relatively quickly, and so are a firm favorite in the kitchen.
Whether you decide to just dredge the escalope in breadcrumbs and deep fry, or stuff with a heavenly concoction of flavors, or smother in a creamy sauce, the escalope is a piece of meat that will deliver tenderness every time.
With the guaranteed tenderness and the short cooking time, escalopes allow the ‘pressed for time’ cook the opportunity to create great tasty meals in quick order.
Aren’t Escalopes Just Coated With Breadcrumbs?
Many recipes call for escalopes to be coated with breadcrumbs, and it is a popular way of preparing them, however it is also just one method of using the meat.
If you do not wish to coat your meat with breadcrumbs, then adding a sauce is another popular method of preparation.
Due to the lean nature of the meat used, sometimes the flavor is not very strong and so adding a sauce to cover the meat allows for a much tastier meal.
Mushroom sauces are a favourite when veal or pork are being prepared. Horseradish, mustard or pepper sauces are great on beef.
Another way of preparing escalopes and adding flavor to the meat is by applying a mixture to the top of the meat and then rolling into a roulade. You can really get creative with the types of filling you wish to use when creating this type of dish, vegetables, fruit, stuffings and sausagemeats all add great flavor combinations.
Which Meat Is Best For Escalopes?
Escalope is just the name given to a slice of meat that has been pounded flat to increase the surface size and make more tender. Any meat that you desire can be used to make an escalope, it just needs to be a lean and solid cut so that it will remain intact after pounding.
Pork Escalopes
Pork tenderloin, loin or leg steaks are perfect for creating pork escalopes. The meat is lean and tender, and will hold well together when pounded out.
Here is a recipe for Lemon, Parmesan & Pine Nut Pork Escalopes
Chicken Escalopes
Skinless chicken breast fillets can be used to make escalopes. You would need to remove the inner fillet and then possibly butterfly the breast to make it thinner prior to pounding. Learn about butterflying chicken breasts in our article here: Difference Between Spatchcock & Butterfly Chicken
Turkey Escalopes
Turkey breasts are obviously much bigger than chicken breasts and so you can almost cut the thin slices of meat to whatever size you require. Turkey escalopes are a popular choice for coating with breadcrumbs and deep frying.
Veal Escalopes
Veal is a very tender meat and there are many parts of the animal that could be used for making escalopes. However one of the most commonly used parts would be the top or bottom round as these are solid muscles and ideal for pounding.
Due to the delicate flavor of the veal, a sauce is often served with the veal.
Beef Escalopes
Much like the veal, there are many parts of the cow that can be used to make escalopes, but again, the top or bottom round are probably the most favored parts.
Unlike the veal, the beef has much more depth of flavor and so sauces are not necessary, however due to the fact that you can get much larger slices of meat from a joint of beef, making beef roulades is often a popular choice for the beef escalopes.
How To Flatten Meat Into Escalopes
You don’t have to wait until you see escalopes in your meat counter at the grocery store, you can prepare them easily yourself at home.
All you need to do is make sure that the pieces of meat you buy are already cut fairly thin, and are solid steaks. Alternatively, you can buy a larger cut of meat and slice it thin yourself if you feel confident doing that.
As mentioned earlier, boneless pork loin steaks, pork tenderloin, turkey cutlets or chicken breasts are good starting points for your escalopes.
Take your thin cut pieces of meat and lay them on a solid surface such as a chopping board and then cover with a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper.
Use a heavy pan, rolling pin or meat mallet to pound the meat to the thickness you require. Flip the meat over once to ensure eveness.
Be sure to keep the mallet or pan flat when pounding the meat otherwise you risk ‘digging’ into the meat and creating a hole.
Meat Mallet for Escalopes
You can get a meat mallet for under $10 and are a worthwhile gadget to have in the kitchen.
It is better to choose one that has both a dual head that offers both smooth and cubed texture pounding. This allows you to bash softer meats such as chicken or turkey without digging into the flesh. You also want to ensure that it has a good gripping handle.
This mallet from Amazon is a popular choice.
Another great use for the mallet is making beef cube steaks. Take a look at our article to learn more about this other great meat option that is similar to beef escalopes – Beef Cube Steaks Explained!
