It’s amazing what you can do with inexpensive boneless pork loin chops.  For under $7.00 you can prepare an impressive dinner for four people.  I wasn’t sure what to call this dish.  Milanese, schnitzel, pork cutlet, cotoletta?

I found this description of Milanese on-line:

“Milanese” is a preparation in which a meat chop (it can be pork or veal, but flattened chicken breasts can also be cooked “milanese”) is dipped in egg wash, then bread crumbs, and then shallow-fried in oil. It’s basically the same preparation as Wiener schnitzel (made with veal cutlet, pounded thin) and in some parts of Germany that dish is called “schnitzel milanese”.  It’s called Wiener schnitzel in Austria – the schnitzel of Wien (Vienna), but it may have originated in northern Italy and migrated to Austria from there. The Milanese cut is probably named after the dish, a thin cut suited to that sort of frying.  The chops in my grocery store are already cut pretty thin, but if your chops are thick you can pound them with a meat mallet.  (Wiener schnitzel is always pounded very thin, and in Vienna a cut always covers an entire large plate.  It’s very dramatic.)

Pound each slice of pork very thin being careful not to tear it.

Panko bread crumbs provide and extra crispy coating.

Pork Milanese with capers and lemon.

Pork Milanese

Ingredients

1 pound thin cut boneless pork loin chops (4 pieces) pounded thin

3/4 cup flour

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 c fine panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

Capers (not traditional, but I like them with this dish)

Fresh lemon wedges

Olive oil for frying

Preparation

Pound the cutlets very thin, about 3 times the original size (cut one side of a Ziplock bag open and place pork between the two layers then pound until thin.  This works better than plastic wrap which can tear).  You can do this prior to cooking the pork Milanese, just place waxed paper between each piece, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

In a shallow bowl, mix the panko with the cheese and herbs.

Put the flour and eggs in two shallow bowls.

Once you’re ready to cook the pork, generously season each piece on both sides with salt and pepper.

Dredge the pork in flour, tapping off the excess then dip in the eggs, making sure to coat well letting the excess egg drip back into the bowl.

Place the pork in the panko mixture and coat well, patting the panko mixture on each side.  Continue the same process with the other pieces of pork.

Heat 3 – 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a large sauté pan. I fry one piece at a time since the pork is pounded so thin and takes up the entire pan however go ahead and use two pans if you want to. Once the oil is hot add the pork and fry until nicely browned and crispy, about 3 minutes. Turn the pork over and fry for another 2 – 3 minutes.  It shouldn’t take much longer, the pork is very thin and cooks quickly. Add more oil as needed when frying the remaining pork.

Place the pork Milanese on a large serving platter and sprinkle with capers (optional), minced parsley and lemon wedges.  Fresh tomato sauce with spaghetti is a good accompaniment.

Buon appetito!