Pork chops Milanese

This is my favorite way to cook boneless pork chops, which tend to dry out with other cooking methods. It is a really inexpensive way to have something one might order at a restaurant at home. As a bonus, they are quite easy to make.

Apparently Americans like boneless things

I always see these boneless, or “America’s Cut” chops front and center in grocery ads. And the price isn’t always great. Maybe Americans like dry meat? Or maybe it is the uniform color? They are not my favorite (but I am originally Canadian, so what do I know?) because they don’t have enough fat and lack the darker, more flavorful meat. So what does that mean to me? They shall be breaded and fried. Don’t feel guilty! They are small and lean so it all evens out. Anyway, these were $1.99/lb at Caputo’s. This is a common sale price. The regular price is usually crazy-high. And some stores will advertise them for $1 each…5 oz portions. So that is $3.20/lb. Don’t fall for it. It isn’t a horrible price, but definitely isn’t great. In addition to this patriotic meat, you’ll need panko crumbs, oil, parmesan, and an egg. Lemon and parsley are really nice finishing touches.

Pound, coat, fry

First, if you are planning to blog this, DO NOT use a lavender cutting board to pound a pork chop. This is especially true if you also just chopped parsley on said cutting board. It does not photograph well!

For each chop, place on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, then pound with a meat mallet until it is about 1/3″ thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Beat an egg lightly in a shallow bowl. On a plate, combine 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan and 2/3 cup panko.

Coat each chop with egg.

Dredge the chops in the breading mixture. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the breaded pork to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes on the first side.

Flip them over and fry until the second side is golden brown too, about 3 minutes.

Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and plate with a lemon wedge. Here, we had it with roasted tomato basil risotto and fresh green beans.