What’s better than a thin, crispy, pan-fried pork cutlet topped with a bright, peppery arugula and citrus salad. It’s a great combo. I’m already drooling over here thinking about it. And while you can certainly make this year round, now is the time to take advantage of all the incredible citrus that’s in season. I used some pink grapefruit and satsumas here, but use whatever citrus you have available. Oranges, pomelos, mandarins, Meyer lemons, go wild.
I typically like to make extra cutlets knowing I’ll have some leftovers, cause if I’m frying, even a shallow pan-frying situation like this, I would rather fry and clean up once. Plus, those cutlets will make a great sandwich the next day. Think Japanese katsu. Add some shredded cabbage and bulldog sauce. Perfection. Maybe a version with some broccoli rabe and sharp provolone? A slight variation on one of my fave sandwiches. The possibilities are endless. And, if pork just isn’t your thing, a fried chicken cutlet is a great alternative. The whole process is the same. Butterfly, pound, bread and fry.
For this version I used some store bought panko, but you can certainly make some fresh crumbs if you like. I used 1” center cut chops and butterflied them before pounding them out. Requires a little less brute force to get them as thin as possible, and I like a thin cutlet.
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I’m already drooling over here thinking about it.
This combo with a crunchy fried cutlet and that arugula salad works so well because all the sharp, slightly bitter citrus balances out and compliments the rich crispy pork. It’s a variation of a classic pork cutlet Milanese. But if you don’t want to go the arugula and citrus route, you can always make a version of a Japanese Katsu sandwich with some shredded cabbage and bulldog sauce (one of my fave condiments). Or, maybe a version of a Philly pork sandwich with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe.
Fried Pork Cutlets
Ingredients
- 2 center cut pork chops butterflied and pounded very thin
- 1 c flour
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 c panko
- 3 c arugula a few generous handfulls
- 1 grapefruit cut into segments
- 2 satsumas or oranges cut into segments
- 1/4 onion thinly sliced
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Prep your chops by trimming off any excess fat and butterflying them, being very careful to not cut yourself. Pound them out until they are about 1/4” thick. I like to pound them between two pieces of parchment or in a large plastic bag.
- Salt your cutlets, dust in flour, dip in your egg and then bread with the panko. Be sure to press that panko on to get a really good coating.
- Pan fry your cutlets in a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat. You want them fully cooked through and golden brown. Usually takes about 4-5 minutes for the first side and 2-3 mins for the second, but keep an eye on them.
- Once they are fully cooked, place them on a tray with a rack and top with some flakey salt. I like to keep them in a warm oven, around 200° – 250°F, while I fry up the other batches.
- When you’re ready to serve, toss your arugula, onion and citrus with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Get your pork cutlet plated and then top with a generous handful (or two) of your salad and eat up.
One thought on Fried Pork Cutlets
This looks delicious. Gonna get some double thick pork chops today.