This is the dish that proves Italian home cooking is not about expensive ingredients. Pork tenderloin costs a fraction of veal. Pounded thin and cooked quickly, it becomes something elegant, something you would be proud to serve to guests, yet simple enough for a Tuesday.

The technique matters more than the protein. You pound the meat thin so it cooks in minutes. You dredge it lightly, not heavily, because thick flour coating becomes paste. You sear over proper heat so the surface browns before the interior overcooks. You build a pan sauce from the fond, the wine, the lemon. Every step serves the next.

Americans ruin this dish by adding garlic, by using cream, by drowning it in sauce. The lemon should be bright, not overwhelming. The capers provide salt and texture. The butter rounds everything into harmony. What you keep out is as significant as what you put in.