Sautéing from the French sauté [sote], in reference to tossing while cooking, is a method of cooking food that uses a small amount of oil in a shallow pan over moderate to high heat. Veal or lamb can be thinly sliced (cutlets/scalopine) to facilitate fast cooking, chops and medallions of striploin or tenderloin are also ideal though tossing while cooking should be limited to turning 1-2 times to achieve desired doneness. The primary mode of heat transfer during sautéing is conduction between the pan and meat being cooked. Veal and lamb that is sautéed is browned while preserving its texture, moisture, and flavor. The sauté is often finished by deglazing the pan’s residue to make a sauce, simply remove meat and add stock or white wine.

Sautéing differs from searing in that searing only browns the surface of the food. Olive oil should not be used to sauté due to its low smoke point. Clarified butter, rapeseed (vegetable) oil and sunflower oil are commonly used for sautéing.

In a sauté, all the ingredients are heated at once, and cooked quickly. To facilitate this, the ingredients are rapidly moved around in the pan, either by the use of a utensil, or by repeatedly jerking the pan itself. A sauté pan must be large enough to hold all of the food in one layer, so steam can escape, which keeps the ingredients from stewing and promotes the development of fond (roasty bits at the bottom of the pan). Most pans made specifically as sauté pans have a wide flat base and low sides, to maximize the surface area available for heating. The low sides allow quick evaporation and escape of steam. While skillets typically have flared or rounded sides, sauté pans typically have straight, vertical sides. This keeps the ingredients from escaping as the pan is jerked or stirred.

For an authentic veal marsala  season scallopine with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Preheat pan (skillet), add 2 table spoons of melted butter and 3 table spoons of oil over moderate heat. Once foam subsidies shake off excees flour and add scallopine. Brown for approximately 3 min. per side and transfer from pan to plate.
Pour off excess oils and add ½ cup of marsala and ¼ cup of stock to pan. Bring to a boil while deglazing skillet for approximately 1-2 minutes.
Return veal to pan, cover and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes.

To serve return scallopine to a heated platter, add ¼ of stock to the sauce remaining in pan and boil briskly. Once sauce has reduced to a syrup glaze season to taste and pour over scallopine.