Pork cutlets Milanese

This recipe is by no means unique. You can try this with pork, chicken, veal, or even beef. What makes my version special is the trial and error I have endured for a couple of years until figuring out how to make these the best they can be.

Brining is essential (though don’t do it with beef). It infuses flavor into the meat and does some tenderizing as well.

Don’t be daunted by the instruction to fry only 3 1/2 minutes total. It will be completely cooked through. Any longer and you will have shoe leather. Get the oil quite hot: a drop or 2 of water flicked in (from a distance, please) should pop instantly.

Even my largest skillet was not big enough to hold all 4 chops at once. And in any case you would not want to crowd the pan.

Take seriously the direction to rinse thoroughly. You definitely need to get all the surface salt off the chops. And (this gets said twice) NO additional salt. In addition to what the chops have absorbed from the brine, the parmesan is salty.

My partner, Peter, is expert at making homemade bread crumbs from virtually any kind of leftover bread we have. Giada DiLaurentiis (whose repeated demonstrations of Milanese-making inspired me to experiment) uses seasoned bread crumbs. I consider that a real no-no. The off-the-shelf stuff from the supermarket tastes like crap to me.

Pork cutlets Milanese
4 boneless pork loin chops, trimmed of all fat
brine*
black pepper
paprika (smoked if possible)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups unseasoned bread crumbs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (or Romano, or a combination of both)
oil for shallow frying

Carefully cut the chops through the middle until you can open them like a book. One by one place them between sheets of plastic wrap and pound them to about ¼” thickness.

Cover the chops with the brine and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Remove from the brine, rinse thoroughly under cold water, and dry completely with paper towels.

Use 2 plates and a wide bowl: put the flour on one plate, the bread crumbs mixed with the parmesan on the other, and the eggs in the wide bowl.

Sprinkle the chops on one side with some black pepper and paprika. DO NOT add salt. One by one, dredge them in the flour (shake off excess), coat with egg (shake off excess), and then press both sides into the crumb and cheese mixture – coating them thoroughly. Place the chops on a plate uncovered and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Heat 1/8” vegetable oil until very hot. Place 2 chops in the oil, fry for 2 minutes; flip them over (carefully) and fry 90 seconds on the other side. Remove them to a plate covered with paper towels, cover with foil and let them sit while you fry the other 2 chops. Drain the second pair on paper towels and serve immediately.

*2 cups water, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tbsp black pepper – stirred until the salt dissolves.

The kindest cutlet of all

Here’s a basic recipe for a stunning dish. It does involve frying (what good stuff doesn’t?). Alright, that’s a rhetorical question – don’t get your knickers in a knot.

I’ve seen chicken cutlets made in pretty much every way possible on Food Network and some of the other channels where I find cooking shows. What I did was to mix and match the elements of this dish that pleased me most.

It seems rare to see a TV cook brine anything. In our house we have gotten to the point of brining every piece of poultry or pork we prepare. In the end it just makes for moister/more forgiving meat. If you need a primer on the process, look at my post of August 11, 2008.

I made this two nights ago and plan to repeat it tonight, using pork chops I found in the sale bin yesterday morning at King Soopers. I don’t think there is any variation between the chick version and the pork, but if there is it’ll come to mind as I relate the battle plan.

I have one confession to make. Several weeks ago Peter put parmesan on my shopping list. Regrettably, Safeway didn’t have the reggiano kind, so I bought another brand. Turned out the one I bought was on the Cook’s Illustrated list of “not recommended.” The brand is Bel Gioso. It doesn’t taste bad, it just doesn’t taste like the expensive stuff. So I’ve been using it in dishes where it is more or less a background element.

I didn’t tell Peter which kind of cheese I used for the chicken and yet he loved it.

Breaded chicken cutlets w/parmesan cheese

2 chicken breast halves, skinless and boneless
black pepper
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
¾ cup parmesan, grated
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tbsp milk
vegetable oil
1 tbsp dried parsley

After brining the chicken dry it with paper towels but do not rinse it. Place each breast half between sheets of plastic wrap and pound it flat – at least 1/3” if not ¼”. Sprinkle both sides with black pepper, but don’t add any more salt. ‘Cause if you do, you risk over saltiness. It’s according to your taste, in other words.

Set up three bowls and a plate on the countertop. In one bowl lightly beat the egg with the milk. In a second bowl place ½ cup flour. In the third go the breadcrumbs, parsley, and parmesan, all of which should be thoroughly tossed together.

Dredge each piece in flour, shaking off excess, then in egg, and finally in crumb and cheese. Press the stuff firmly into the meat and carefully place the chicken on the plate (without any toweling). Repeat with the second piece of chicken. Place the plate uncovered in the fridge for an hour if you have the time. If not, 15-30 minutes will probably be fine. You want the coating to dry some so that it adheres well to the meat.

When it’s time to cook, heat 1/8” oil in a heavy skillet large enough to hold the pieces of chicken without them overlapping. When the oil is very hot, add the chicken. Cook on the first side until the top edges of the pieces turn opaque and it's golden on the bottom. Turn the chicken over and cook for exactly two minutes. Nick one corner of the thickest portion. If you see any pink, let it go exactly ONE more minute. Set aside on paper towels for 2-3 minutes.

One final thing: if you cut your own chicken off the bone, you probably have the “tenders” attached as was the case for me. Carefully separate them and trim out the bit of tendon you’ll see on the underside. After that, simply prepare them the same way with the exception that they don’t require pounding.

Oh, one more final thing: for the pork chops, if they are on the bone, remove it. Do pound them as with the bird.

Pork Cutlets with Peach Sauce

There were 4 boneless pork loin chops in the freezer which I thawed and brined. I used two today and will use the other 2 tomorrow.

A word about brining: it does wonders for chicken and pork. It does a bit of tenderizing and infuses the meat with flavor. For best results don’t rinse the meat or chicken after brining, just dry it well with paper towels. The one exception I made is with the 2 extra pork chops I saved for tomorrow. They will be part of a stir-fry with some other salty ingredients. So I did rinse them.

Last week I confessed to having slightly overcooked some pork chops I was preparing on the stovetop grill. This time I got it just right. I mention the possible use of some grill seasoning in the recipe below. We just happen to have a jar of no-salt seasoning. While the chops rested in the fridge after being pounded flat, they rejoiced in a coating (both sides) of this stuff. It doesn't bring a lot of flavor to the party, but does give a complex background component. Whatever you do, don't add any more salt as you prepare pork that's been brined for more than 4 hours.

How to brine

There are lots of variations to brining. This is pretty much the most basic method.

Dissolve 2 tbsp kosher salt and 2 tbsp sugar in 2 cups of water. Put the pork or chicken in a freezer bag, squeeze carefully to get out as much air as you can. Seal the bag and place it in the fridge, putting the bag in a large bowl so if it leaks you’re protected. Leave the bag alone for up to 6 hours.

Remove meat from the liquid. Discard the liquid, but save the freezer bag. Just rinse it out with water and set it aside. Dry the meat well on paper towels. If you have the time, line a plate with paper towels and refrigerate the meat uncovered for an hour or two. You can skip this step if you want.

Pork cutlets with peach sauce

2 boneless pork loin chops, brined and pounded flat
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 peaches
¼ cup water
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Splenda
Red pepper flakes
1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water

Start with the peach sauce. Peel the peaches and remove the pits. Chop one peach into a fine dice. Slice the other into 12 slices. Put the peaches and water into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the vinegar, Splenda, and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add the cornstarch 1 tsp at a time until you achieve a good, gravy-like texture. Season with a pinch of salt. Remove from the heat and set aside.

One hour before cooking, take the chops out of the fridge. One by one, place them in the reserved freezer bag and pound them to about ¼” thickness. Now you can discard the bag.

Cut a sliver of pork and microwave it for 30 seconds or so. Now taste it. This will help you determine if you are going to add salt to the meat when you cook. It is entirely a personal taste preference. After doing this, I rinsed the chops because I detected the potention for over-saltiness. Make your own decision.

Heat a large skillet (big enough to hold both chops) or stovetop grill over medium high heat until very hot. Sprinkle the chops with black pepper, salt - if using, and/or other grill seasonings you may like.

Put the peaches over low heat to warm.

Grill the chops until the edges are opaque. Flip them over and turn off the heat. After 2 minutes, no more, make a slit in the thickest part of a chop. If it is pink it’s done. It it’s too pink for you, let it sit for 1 more minute only. Remove to heated plates and top with the peach mixture. Garnish with parsley and serve.