Schnitzel (veal, pork and chicken)

Cover the veal with plastic wrap and pound with a smooth meat mallet as thin as possible without tearing.

Season the meat, not the breading, lightly with salt.

Dredge in plain flour and knock off the excess. Dip in beaten egg and let the excess drip off.

Coat in fine breadcrumbs (store-bought, or panko ground fine in the food processor) without pressing the meat into them.

Clarify the butter: melt in a small saucepan over medium-low and let it boil until the bubbling slows and most water is gone, almost half an hour.

Strain the butter through a strainer lined with paper towel, and again into a 12-inch fry pan, to remove milk solids that would burn.

Heat to medium-high; dip the edge of the meat in and if it sizzles a lot, add the rest. Use enough fat that the meat floats above the pan without being submerged.

Flip frequently while frying so nothing burns and the heat can be adjusted; when the outside looks done, the inside is done.

Drain and rest on a rack or paper towels.

Serve with fresh parsley on top and an ample squeeze of fresh lemon.

Variation, pork: butterfly boneless pork loin chops to half thickness, cover with plastic wrap and pound; season, flour, egg and fine panko as before; fry in a few big spoonfuls of lard over medium-high, flipping a few times; drain.

Variation, chicken: cut a chicken breast through into halves and pound carefully, since chicken tears; season, flour, dip in egg mixed with a big spoonful of mustard, coat in crumbs and fry in vegetable oil until crisp and brown; it finishes by carryover while resting.