Grandma “MeMar’s” Chicken Cutlets

My Mom has been making chicken cutlets since, well, since I can remember

However, they seem to just get better and better.  Like they say, wine gets better with age, and so do these

I mean they are so good that they are requested at parties.  So good that everyone asks for the recipe.  So good that when they are being made they seem to vanish

I’m not even kidding here

Sooooooo, this is about my 100th attempt to mimic my Mom’s Chicken Cutlets (shhhhhhh… don’t tell her)

I think I’m finally there (or as close as I’m going to get!)

Thanks Grandma MeMar!

I have about 3 pounds of boneless chicken breasts

Trim any excess fat or sinew (the very white “strings” you may find)

You can also remove the tenderloins (the little strips on the side) and save for another use

Let’s fillet

With your palm down on top of the chicken and your fingers well out of the way, start slicing a thin filet out of the breast away from your hand

Slice through and continue

I usually get 2-3 fillets out of one boneless breast,  3-4 out of a thicker one

Take your time here

Or have a butcher do it for you

Once we are all filleted, place half the cutlets at a time on a cutting board

Cover in plastic wrap and get ready to pound away with a meat tenderizer

The plastic wrap just keeps the chicken and it’s juices from flying all over your counter

Tenderize the first side

Once you tenderize one side, flip the cutlets and do the other side

Do not beat the cutlets too hard as they will start to break down and tear apart

Now the magic begins

So start with about 2 cups of plain bread crumbs, my Mom never uses flavored bread crumbs, she likes to season her own

I like to place them in a pie plate

To flavor these you will need at least 5 garlic cloves chopped finely, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, 2 teaspoons each of kosher salt and ground black pepper

Remove the stems from the parsley and discard

Give the parsley a good chop

Add the cheese, garlic, parsley and salt and pepper to the breadcrumbs

Mix together with a fork until well combined

Egg wash time

An egg wash is just a method to help “glue” the bread crumbs to the protein (in this case our chicken)

Start with 3 large eggs and 1/2 cup of milk and give this a whisk until blended

Now I say “start with” because you may need more egg wash depending on how many cutlets you end up with

Just go with the flow, if you need more, add it

My wife taught me a neat little trick

Set up a large sheet pan with your chicken, egg wash and breadcrumbs

This acts as a dredging station and will help contain the mess

Now for the dredging

Dredging, basically means dip your chicken in a wet product and into a dry product, forming a coating

I dip a cutlet into the egg wash, then into the bread crumb and coat both sides

And then we are good right?

Nope

And here is what I think makes “MeMar’s” cutlets different.  We dip one side back in the egg wash…..and then back into the breadcrumb

Just one side you ask?  Well, she has tested this

“Just bread them normally?”

“No, not enough” she says

“Double bread both sides”

“No, too much” she says

Who am I to argue with perfection?

That is a beautiful cutlet!

Repeat until all the cutlets are prepped (this is fancy for ‘good to go’)

Okay

No special tricks here, we are going old school Italian

I get 2 pans going with about 2 inches of extra virgin olive oil in each, over medium heat, since there are so many cutlets

I typically use regular olive oil for frying but my mom uses extra virgin so that’s what I’m doing (if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it)

Toss a bit of bread crumb in the pan, if it starts to “fry” add some cutlets

Note:  If your oil isn’t hot enough the chicken will sit, and absorb the grease. This will make them soggy and this is what causes the bread crumbs to fall off

The oil is hot enough now, so lets get frying

Add a couple cutlets to the pan (do not over crowd them)

Flip them a couple a couple times during the cooking process to ensure even browning

The cooking time will be around 3-4 minutes per side but the true test is if a fork slides in and out easily

Note:  I like to use 2 forks while cooking them.  1 fork is the raw fork and one fork is the cooked fork.  This will help to keep the cutlets from becoming contaminated

 

I like to pull them out of the pan with tongs and let them drip for a bit

Then place them on a wire rack over a sheet pan and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt

Repeat with the rest of the cutlets

Let them drain and rest before serving

I actually prefer them at room temperature

I guarantee you will love these!

Enjoy!!!

Tool used to make this recipe

OXO Good Grips Fish Turner

Wilton Recipe Right Non-stick Cookie Sheet Set, 2-Piece

Architec Gripperwood Cutting Board

ZYLISS Quik Blend Whisk

OXO Good Grips Meat Tenderizer

Calphalon Nonstick Cookware

Wilton Recipe Right 3 Tier Cooling Rack Set

Pyrex Bakeware Scalloped Pie Plate

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