How to make meat and fish medallions

Name: How to make meat and fish medallions
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 0
Ingredients: Beef filet 1; Salmon steaks 1; Bay leaves to taste; Pancetta to taste

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Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Makes: pieces

PRESENTATION

If you're on the hunt for something simple yet elegant, you've gotta try medaglioni di carne or medaglioni di pesce. These are seriously popular all over Italy. Why? Well, really, it's because of their straightforward prep and lovely presentation. Pretty simple. Basically, you cut your meat or fish into round slices. So, for instance, you could go with the sottofesa cut for veal—or maybe salmon if you're feeling fishy.

The trick? Keep those pieces tender and a bit moist in the middle, making sure every bite is juicy and flavorful. Italians? They nail those golden edges. And look, using high heat really really helps. You don’t need anything fancy—just a sharp knife, some kitchen scissors, and a bit of twine to shape these rounds. This ricetta medaglioni isn't just about looks—it helps cook everything evenly. Gives you a nice crispy outer texture if you pan-sear.

You'll spot these medallions at Italian family gatherings, and variations abound. Think medaglioni di manzo or medaglioni di salmone—depends on what's available or preferred. So so many options. Some folks go for medaglioni di pollo or even medaglioni di tonno for that seafood vibe. The beauty? It's all in the versatility—you can quickly pan-fry for a crispy finish or bake them for something tender.

Many families love medaglioni al forno for Sunday lunches, keeping everything extra moist and juicy inside. Others might opt for medaglioni in padella for those quick weeknight meals. Which is great. The best part? You can play with the seasonings, sticking to classics or trying something new. It's all about that Italian way—keeping it simple yet refined, using just a few tools and a touch of know-how.

Next time you’re craving something that looks fancy but is easy to make, definitely give these medaglioni a shot. People love how they turn out tender, golden, and full of flavor, no matter what you fill them with. Can't go wrong.

INGREDIENTS

Beef filet 1

Salmon steaks 1

Flavoring Ingredients: Bay leaves to taste; Pancetta to taste

How to make salmon medallions

To prepare the fish medallions, you need fillets about 1-1.5 inches thick; in our case, we've used salmon. First, remove the central bone: make two cuts on either side of the bone with the tip of a knife 1, remove the bone with your hands 2, then, using tweezers, remove any remaining bones in the flesh 3. Since not all bones are visible, it's useful to run your hand over the salmon to find them and easily remove them with tweezers.

Remove the skin along the outer lateral edges of your salmon slice by making an incision with the tip of a knife at a height of about 2 to 2.5 inches 4, then proceed horizontally with the blade to remove all the skin 5; be careful not to waste too much flesh during this operation. Now fold the skinless lateral edges of flesh inwards 6,

and shape the flesh with your hands to achieve a rounded form 7. To ensure this shape is maintained during cooking, it's essential to secure each medallion with kitchen string: place the string snugly around the perimeter of the medallion, as shown in the photo 8, then make a tight knot and cut off the excess string with kitchen scissors 9. Your salmon medallion is ready to be used! Once the fish medallion is cooked, remove the string with kitchen scissors and serve it at the table.

How to make meat medallions

To prepare meat medallions, you should have a cut of boneless meat, either beef or pork; round and tenderloin are particularly suitable, and we've chosen to use veal round. Typically, medallions are about 2.75 inches in diameter and about 1-1.5 inches thick; if you have a large piece of meat, it's advisable to cut it in half (1-2), making it easier to obtain smaller and more regular slices. Once this is done, cut your veal pulp into slices about 1-1.5 inches thick 3. If you chose to use tenderloin, it is recommended to cut slices at least 2 to 2.5 inches thick. At this point, each medallion needs to be secured with kitchen string: pass the string around the entire perimeter of the meat slice and secure it with a very tight knot to maintain the shape during cooking.

To make your recipes more appetizing, you can flavor the meat with bacon or bay leaves; here's how to proceed: wrap each beef medallion with bacon 4 and secure everything with kitchen string by making a tight knot 5, then cut off the excess string with scissors 6.

Alternatively, you can also flavor the meat with bay leaves: place 4 bay leaves along the perimeter of the meat slice 7, then secure everything with kitchen string by making a double loop to ensure the bay leaves are well fastened 8 and close with a double knot 9. Once your meat medallions are cooked, remove the string with kitchen scissors and serve them on the table, perhaps drizzling them with the gravy obtained during cooking.