Saltimbocca is a rich Mediterranean dish made with veal, pork, or chicken wrapped in ham and sage leaves, marinated in wine or flavored oils, and sautéed. It can be served as an appetizer or entree and paired with white wine.
Saltimbocca is a Mediterranean dish originating in Italy, although it is widely eaten throughout southern Europe. The exact components and preparation for saltimbocca vary, but key to the dish is the inclusion of a meat such as veal, pork, or chicken and the use of ham to wrap around it for cooking. The result is a very rich and flavorful dish that can be eaten as an appetizer or entree and paired with a large assortment of complementary foods.
In Italian, saltimbocca means “to jump into the mouth,” which is supposed to be a reference to the fact that the dish is so good that it literally leaps into the diner’s mouth. It is made by wrapping your favorite meat in a lightly wrapped ham, adding a few sage leaves, and then marinating the meat in a mixture that varies, depending on the country where the dish is being prepared. Then, the saltimbocca is sautéed and served with its own drippings; capers may also be added, in some regions.
As a general rule, the meat is pounded, to make it extremely tender. Pounding also softens the meat, allowing it to absorb more marinade and more drippings during the cooking process. As you can imagine, saltimbocca is by no means low in fat, and the fats are part of what makes the dish so rich and flavorful.
Some sort of wine is the most common base for the marinade, with the famous Saltimbocca alla Romana prepared with marsala. You may also see saltwater marinades or flavored oils. The marinade is usually kept simple, because the goal is to continuously bring out the flavors of the meat, and some marinades can be reserved for deglazing the pan after cooking, ensuring that all the savory seasonings are saved to season the meat.
You may see wedges of saltimbocca being served as part of a full meal, but cooks may also cut the dish into bite-sized pieces to use as an appetizer. White wines tend to pair best with saltimbocca, depending on the meat selected, and the dish can be served in summer or winter, depending on personal taste. To put a twist on the traditional saltimbocca, cooks can also play with other meats or a saltimbocca designed to be served as a cured meat.
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