Italian Breaded Tip Steak with Fettuccini

This was a favorite dish of mine growing up. My mother and her many sisters were great Italian cooks, but it was at one of the local Italian restaurants that I fell in love with this dish. It's not difficult to prepare and will become a family favorite at your house too. 

If you've ever prepared veal Milanese, wiener schnitzel, or a breaded chicken cutlet this will all seem simple and familiar as it is a closely related dish.  

You really don't need a recipe to make this meal once you tried it. I've not given measurements because it is so very flexible. Simply purchase enough steak to feed your family and the rest of the ingredients are all adjustable.  I purchased a 1.5 pound package and it will make enough for 4-6 servings. I've also found it at Aldi in a vacuum pack marked 'black angus thin sliced sirloin tip steak.'

Ingredients

sirloin tip steak

flour

eggs

milk

bread crumbs (panko preferred but not required)

Italian seasonings (basil, oregano, garlic, onion)

salt and pepper

fettucine

pasta sauce

Parmesan or Romano cheese (grated)

Prepare: Make your favorite pasta sauce a day or more in advance (or use a good quality jar of sauce.) This dish requires that you procure good quality, thin cut sirloin tip steaks. As I have a good Italian grocery store with in-store butcher close by, I can usually purchase the meat ready to prepare. However if you are not as fortunate, you may find beef steaks cutlets that are too thick. If so, start by pounding them into uniformly thin slices (1/8 to 1/4" at most) with plastic wrap over them to contain any mess this may cause. Sprinkle the steaks with a salt, cut the meat into serving size pieces. and cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes while you continue to prepare the meal. Fill a pot with water in which to cook the fettuccini and add a good pinch of salt, and start to warm your sauce. Place four tablespoons of olive oil or solid vegetable shortening (Crisco) to a large non-stick skillet. Preheat your oven to 175F degrees. Prepare a side salad. 

The Breading Station

Flour, Egg Wash, Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Bread: The classic breading technique (called “a l'anglaise” in French for “in the English fashion”) should be used (shown above). If you are sometimes frustrated that your breading comes off of the meat when cooking, it is likely you are not following this standard culinary practice. In the first dish or pie plate, add flour and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Then lightly beat an egg with a tablespoon of milk or water in the second dish placed next to the flour. In the third dish next to the egg mixture, add breadcrumbs and season generously with Italian seasonings like oregano and basil, granulated garlic, dried onion, salt and pepper. Dry each piece of meat with a paper towel. (Drying is very important.) Then lightly coat one piece of meat first in the flour, then wet with the egg mixture and finally coat with the breading. Use a separate fork or tongs for each dish or keep a wet and dry hand. Repeat to bread all pieces placing them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet as you go. 

Boil: Start the pasta water cooking over high heat and when boiling, add the fettuccini, stirring periodically as you sauté the steaks. 

Sauté: Heat the skillet over medium high heat and when shimmering place a few pieces into the skillet without over-crowding the pan. Sauté each piece of meat until brown then turn with a fork or tongs to cook on the other side until browned. Remove each batch as it is browned to a foil lined baking sheet sprayed with food release or to another wire rack set over a baking sheet. Place in the oven at 175F degrees as you continue to sauté the remaining pieces.

Keep Warm: If the pieces of beef have been uniformly thin, they are already cooked through when you place them in the oven. This will keep them warm while the pasta finishes cooking and also ensure they cooked through if they are a bit thicker in places.

Serve: Drain your cooked pasta and add a little of the pasta sauce to the cooked noodles and stir to combine. Place a piece of the Italian breaded steak on each dinner plate and add a side of pasta. Spoon some sauce over the top of the pasta and onto the steak. Sprinkle with grated Romano or Parmesan cheese and serve with a side salad. From start to finish dinner is on the table in under an hour.