Quick Dinner: Pork Milanese with Arugula Salad

There's something about a hot, breaded pork cutlet topped with a cold, tangy salad that I can't get enough of.  The pork brings me back to when I lived in Iowa, where an Iowa pork tenderloin is truly a special experience.  What's even better is that it's such a quick dinner to throw together - about 30 minutes!  This is a great meal for when you're getting home from work just a little bit later than you'd hoped to...

Start by setting up your breading station: pork cutlets, two beaten eggs, breadcrumb plate, empty plate.  Keep some breadcrumbs on hand in case you need more than two cups.  Dip your cutlets in egg, than in seasoned breadcrumbs carefully coating each cutlet completely.  Some people also add flour to this menthol before the egg, but my mother never did that so I haven't bothered.  I also use this method to bread chicken cutlets that I've  very thinly pounded.

The irregular little croquette you see on the plate is what my family calls a bread ball.  Thrifty Italian ancestors refused to waste the leftover egg and breadcrumbs from coating the meat, so they would mix them together to form a croquette that's fried alongside the cutlets.  It's a delicious treat for the cook!

Once the pork has been breaded liberally coat a pan with oil and heat over medium-high.  I prefer vegetable or corn oil for frying because olive oil has a very low smoke point.  Peanut oil is also good for frying, albeit not allergen free.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until the pork has browned and cooked through.

While the pork cooks mix together your salad dressing: lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, salt and pepper.  Whisk vigorously until it is emulsified and let it sit until just before serving.  Once the pork is cooked through add arugula and pecorino romano (or parmesan) cheese to the salad dressing, toss, and top pork cutlets.

Pork Milanese with Arugula Salad

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork cutlets (may be labeled pork cube steak, or pork tenderloin)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
• 4 oz. arugula
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 2 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup pecorino romano (or parmesan) cheese

Instructions

1. Bread pork cutlets by dipping in beaten eggs and coating in breadcrumbs.
2. Fry pork over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side
3. Meanwhile, vigorously whisk oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper until the mixture emulsifies.
4. Toss arugula and pecorino romano with salad dressing and top cooked pork cutlets.