Crispy Pork Milanese

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These crispy pork cutlets are extra crunchy from the panko breadcrumbs, and extra flavorful from the grated Parmesan added to the breading.

Crispy Pork Milanese
Photo: © Leela Cyd
Total Time:
30 mins
Yield:
6

A traditional Milanese dish is a bone-in veal chop pounded until very thin, and then breaded and pan-fried. This method of cooking meat is simple and delicious, and it's no wonder that we use it to cook not just veal, but pork, chicken, and even beef, which is the preferred protein for this preparation in South America. Milanese looks impressive — with a thin, flat piece of meat covering most if not all of the plate — but it is pretty foolproof to make. Plus, it’s super quick, making it an ideal weeknight dinner.

Melissa Clark uses boneless pork cutlets here; they are easy to pound flat at home, but you can also ask your butcher to do it for you. She coats them with a mixture of panko breadcrumbs, oregano, nutmeg, and Parmesan cheese, to give the resulting Milanese a delightfully crunchy texture when pan-fried, and more complexity with each bite. This pork Milanese pairs nicely with a crisp salad for a complete meal.

Ingredients

  • 6 pork cutlets (1 1/2 pounds), pounded 1/4 inch thick

  • Kosher salt

  • freshly ground pepper

  • 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (2 ounces)

  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

  • 2 large eggs, beaten

  • Olive oil, for frying

  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

  1. Season the cutlets with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, mix the panko with the cheese, oregano and nutmeg. Put the flour and eggs in 2 shallow bowls. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Dredge the cutlets in the flour, tapping off the excess, then dip them in the eggs, allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl. Finally, coat the cutlets with the panko mixture, pressing to help the crumbs adhere.

  2. In each of 2 large skillets, heat 1/2 inch of olive oil until shimmering. Add the cutlets to the skillets and fry over high heat, turning once, until crisp, golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Drain the pork on paper towels and serve at once with lemon wedges.

Serve With

Tomato salad.

Suggested Pairing

These pork cutlets pair well with a light red that won't overwhelm the dish but has enough structure to complement the Parmesan in the crust. A Bardolino from Italy's Veneto is a good choice.

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