At its core, rostin negàa, or veal chops, comprises three fundamental ingredients of Milanese cuisine: butter, wine, and veal. Yet this preparation is held in such high regard that in 2008, the dish garnered municipal recognition as one of the city’s signatures.
Pellegrino Artusi, the author of La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiar bene (Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well), wrote about these veal chops in brown butter. Recipe number 526 refers to it as arrosto morto (dead roast). However, the dish got its official name from Francesco Cherubini’s 1839 dictionary of the Milanese language, in which he called it rost negàa.
Around Milan, rostin negàa isn’t as ubiquitous as the golden risotto alla milanese or the emblematic veal cutlet, but several old-school trattorias have it on the menu. Follow the recipe below to create a taste of Milan at home.
Photo: Riccardo Lettieri
Rostin Negàa (Milanese Veal Chops) Recipe
Recipe: Davide Brovelli
Skill Level: Easy
Time: 40 minutesGluten-free
Ingredients for 3
2 veal chops (1¾ lb. in total, so around 11oz./400 g each)
11 oz. new potatoes (400 g)
1 garlic clove
sage
rosemary
extra-virgin olive oil
butter
salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash the new potatoes well and brown them in a pan with garlic, rosemary, and 2-3 Tbsp. oil over high heat for 5-6 minutes. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, adding salt toward the end of cooking.
Turn up the oven to 400°C. Heat the butter and sage in a pan until the butter starts bubbling. Brown each veal knot over high heat for 4 minutes per side, then arrange them on an oven-safe plate. Bake for another 4-5 minutes, adding salt toward the end of cooking. Serve with the potatoes.