Pork Milanese

I've had Giada de Laurentis's cookbook Everyday Italian for years now, but haven't really made much out of it unfortunately, through no fault of the cookbook. That's definitely a problem I have- I buy these awesome cookbooks, make maybe one or two recipes, and then never venture further.  I really need to work on this, because there are so many amazing sounding recipes in all my cookbooks that I'd love to make. I need to be like Julie from Julie & Julia, and cook every recipe out of a cookbook or something.  Maybe I need to make a goal to cook 1 or 2 recipes a week from an actual cookbook. I get so many food magazines, and read so many blogs, that I have a pretty much unlimited supply of recipes to choose from, and it seems like sometimes the cookbooks get lost in the shuffle. Sad, because they are pretty much the books that I love best.

Anyway.... this pork was awesome!! As I mentioned in my last post, this is one of the best pork dishes I have ever personally made. The breading that coats the pork was so flavorful, and I think it would adapt well to swapping in chicken for the pork, if pork is not your thing.  It's shallow-fried, which is definitely not as intimidating as deep-frying, and only left a slight lingering smell of oil- one of my biggest turn-offs for frying things in my home.  I definitely recommend giving this recipe a try.  I know I'll be making it again!!

Pork Milanese

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging

2 large eggs, beaten

1 1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs

2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried thyme

4 8-ounce center-cut pork chops (about 1-inch thick)

1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions:

1. Place the flour in a wide shallow dish, such as a pie plate. Place the beaten eggs in another wide, shallow dish. In a third wide, shallow dish, mix together the breadcrumb, Parmesan cheese, basil, and thyme.

2. Place the pork chops between two pieces of plastic wrap, or in a large storage bag, and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin, until the pork is 1/4 inch thick. Season the pork chops on each side with salt and pepper (about 1 tsp of each for the four pork chops).

3. Dredge each pork chop (one at a time), first in the flour, then in the egg (let excess drip off), then in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing the mixture on gently. Place the pork chops, in a single layer, on a baking sheet.  (These can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead. Just cover and refridgerate until ready to cook.)

4. Preheat oven to warm (150 degrees, or as close as possible- the lowest my oven goes is to 200 degrees), and line a baking sheet with a rack.

5. Melt butter and oil together in a large saute pan with high sides over medium heat, until hot. Cook the pork chops, 2 at a time, about 3 minutes per side, until light golden brown. Transfer the cooked pork chops to the prepared baking sheet and season with more salt to taste. Place in the oven to keep warm, and repeat the process with the other 2 pork chops.

6. Serve the pork chops with the lemon wedges on the side. Squeeze the lemon juice over the pork chops if desired.

Source: Everyday Italian