Veal or Pork Scallopini

1. Choose a lean, boneless cut such as veal inside round or a pork leg roast and have your butcher trim it of any external fat or connective tissue. If you're purchasing the cut already packaged, use a sharp boning knife to do the same when you get home.

2. Lay the veal or pork on a clean cutting board and examine it. The shape will be roughly cylindrical, with the grain of the meat running lengthwise. Cut your slices across the grain of the meat, 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch thick, at a slight diagonal. Cutting diagonally will make your cutlets larger, giving the appearance of a more generous portion.

3. Lay your cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap, or inside a large heavy-duty freezer bag. Gently pound them flatter, one at a time, using a meat mallet or plastic-wrapped rolling pin. Their final size can be 50 percent larger than the original cut or up to twice as large, depending on your intended use.

Chicken or Turkey Breast

1. Select a boneless turkey breast or extra-large chicken breasts, and pull or trim away any surface fat, gristle, blood spots or small fragments of bone. Remove the delicate "tender" from the underside of the breast, and reserve it for another use.

2. Slice across the thick end of the breast, at approximately a 30-degree angle. Repeat your cut, making slices 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch in thickness. One large chicken breast can make three to five cutlets, and turkey breasts can make 10 or more. The leftover trim pieces, like the tender, can be reserved for use in other meals.

3. Place each cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap, and gently flatten it by striking it with a meat mallet or plastic-wrapped rolling pin. Each cutlet should nearly double in size. Take care to pound them evenly, so the cutlets are a uniform thickness.