Panko Pork Cutlets

It has been a long time since we had pork in our house, so I thought I would bring back a classic.  John and I used to visit Butcher Boy Meats for our meat and they had the best pork cutlets I've ever had, super thin and super fresh!  So fresh in fact that when asked if they had any more cutlets than what was in the meat case, the butcher brought a side of pork to the counter and cut some cutlets just for me.  It doesn't get much better than that!  Unfortunately we aren't close to them anymore so I just used regular grocery store pork chops.  I also recommend picking up one of the giant pork tenderloins at Costco for about $30 and cutting your own pork chops.  You get major bang for your buck that way!

 

I LOVE Panko bread crumbs because they never become soggy like regular bread crumbs. They give the pork cutlets the perfect amount of crunch that you look for in a breaded dish.  They also toast to a beautiful golden brown color which makes for a great looking dish.  For me the perfect side for pork cutlets is mashed potatoes!  How can you go wrong with creamy mashed potatoes?  I prefer mine unpeeled and on the chunky side.  Interesting fact - most of the nutrition in a potato is in the skin!

Panko Pork Cutlets
4 boneless pork chops
1 egg
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
2T dried parsley
2t smoked paprika
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Cover the pork chop with plastic wrap.  Using a meat mallet, or a rolling pin, pound the pork chop out until it is 1/4 inch thick.  An ice cream scoop also works well but be warned that the scoop might not survive.  Rest in peace cow ice cream scoop *tear*.

In one bowl mix together the Panko, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper.  In a second bowl whisk the egg.  Dip each pork cutlet into the egg, then coat both sides with the Panko mixture.  Shallow fry the pork in oil for 2 minutes on each side until cooked through.  Set on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.

If you are freezer cooking, pound out and crust pork chops as directed.  Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop them in the freezer.  Once they are frozen, transfer them into a freezer bag.  To serve, thaw and fry as mentioned in the recipe or bake them in the oven!

If you want to make a gravy for your pork cutlets, add a bit of flour to the oil leftover from frying the cutlets to make a roux.  Then add some chicken stock, salt and pepper.  Reduce the sauce for a few minutes and you have yourself some delicious gravy!