Pork Cutlets

So my pork cutlets aren’t very different from my chicken cutlets

I mean if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it

I do have to say, I’m torn between which I like better

And I have to tell all of you chicken cutlet fans, that pork cutlets (yeah, the other white meat), will make you wonder as well

So I have 6 boneless pork chops here and they are about 1 1/2 inches thick

Wait?  What?  We are making cutlets out of 6 small boneless chops?

Yep….you bet!

I like to trim any excess fat from the chop

Time to filet the chop

Place your hand, palm down on the top of the chop

Carefully slice through the center of the chop and away from your body

Depending on the thickness of the chop you can get 2 to 3 fillets

You can also ask your butcher to fillet them for you

Repeat until all the pork has been cut into fillets

Cover the cutlets with cling wrap

This will help the meat stay intact when you tenderize it, as well as keep raw meat particles from flying around the kitchen

Using the toothy side of the meat tenderizer, gently pound out the cutlets

Flip and tenderize again

Don’t beat them to hard as this may break down the muscle fibers and they could fall apart

After I pound them out, I cut any cutlets that are double the size of the rest in half so I keep the portions even

Okay, it’s time to start working on our dredging station

To start we will need 3 eggs and 1/4 cup of milk or cream

Get these into a large bowl and whisk until combined

Next up we will need the dry mix

For the breading we will need 2 cups of plain bread crumb (more as needed), 1 cup of grated romano or parmesan cheese, 6 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup of fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and ground black pepper

Add the breadcrumb to a pie plate

Add in the grated cheese, salt and pepper

Give the garlic and parsley a fine chop

Add these to the breadcrumbs

I use a fork to combine all the ingredients

I like to put all of my bowls and protein on a large sheet pan

This becomes my dredging station

This is something I learned from my partner in crime (the Mrs. ), who taught me this to avoid a lot of extra mess in the kitchen!

I have my egg wash, the breadcrumb mixture and of course the pork cutlets

Dip a cutlet into the egg wash

Then the bread crumbs

Make sure both sides are coated

 

Now for a family secret

I dip 1 side back in the egg wash

Then back into the bread crumb

Why 1 side you ask?

This is how Mom does it!

This way you get some extra crunch but not too much breading

As I finish breading the cutlets, I place them on the sheet pan

I like to bread them all first, clean my bowls and then move onto frying

I’m going to use 2 pans to move things along

I put enough olive oil in the pans to come up to about 2 inches

If you have an oil thermometer the oil should be around 350 F

If you don’t you can use the Italian method.  Sprinkle the oil with bread crumb and if it fries up and floats to the surface you are good to go!

Bottom line you want the oil to be hot enough to bubble up right away, if it is too cool the cutlets will sit and soak up the oil and become greasy

Place as many cutlets into the pan that can fit without touching each other

Cook these around 4-5 minutes per side or until the fork slips out of them easily (depending on how they are browning I may flip a couple times in this time span to ensure a nice even browning)

Looking good

I like to setup a cookie rack over a sheet pan

Hold the cutlets up out of the oil and allow to drain a bit then place on the cookie rack

Sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt

Let them rest for a few

I personally like them warm or room temperature

We served these with our homemade Slow Cooker Apple Sauce and a slice of lemon!

Enjoy!!!

Tools used to make this recipe

Simply Bamboo Cutting Board

Architec Gripperwood Cutting Board

ZYLISS Quik Blend Whisk

OXO Good Grips Meat Tenderizer

ZELITE INFINITY Boning Knife

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

Pyrex Bakeware Scalloped Pie Plate

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