Pork Loin Cutlet Sandwiches

 

PORK CUTLET SANDWICHES

 

If you can get tenderized pork cutlets (sometimes I can find them; sometimes not) – buy those. 

IF NOT, buy a pork tenderloin and cut it into 3/4” thick portions – cut it on a severe angle to get the longest possible slice because you are going pound it flat and to use it to cover a piece of roll or bread or whatever.  Put the slices in a strong baggie (like a freezer bag) and pound each one with a mallet of some sort – if it’s a real meat mallet, after pounding it, then remove it from the baggie and use the tenderizer side or the mallet to pound with – you are going for about ¼” thin slices when you finish.  You can also look at the grocery store for thin pork “steaks” – boneless – and ask the butcher to double tenderize them. 

For the breading:

1)     Put flour in a clean bread baggie, with season salt, garlic salt and pepper and lemon pepper and flour and shake each piece to cover it with flour).  Keep the flour in the bag.

2)     Flour each piece to fry.  Set on wire rack to rest.

3)     Stir together 1-2 beaten eggs with some buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk, just take a little whole milk or half and half - about ½ cup? - and add teaspoon of either white vinegar or lemon juice and stir together let it sit for about five minutes – it will turn the milk into buttermilk and then you can add it to the eggs). 

4)     Dredge the floured pork pieces one at a time in the milk/egg mixture.  Set back on rack to rest.

5)     In the same bag as the seasoned flour, now add about twice as much panko crumbs to the flour, add a bit more season salt/lemon pepper garlic to the bag and shake together.

6)     Gently shake/dredge the floured and battered pork cutlets in the panko mixture in the bag and place them back on the same rack to “dry” (or adhere) the breading to the cutlets. 

 

In a skillet, add equal amounts of butter, olive oil and vegetable oil.  You are just looking to cover the bottom of the skillet about a ¼” in the frying oil.  Heat until about medium (don’t let the oils burn!) and put the cutlets in the skillet to fry – about 1 ½ minutes on each side – until browned but not overcooked.  Can flip over twice to make sure they are done, but don’t overcook.  Drain for a minute on the rinsed rack from before and you can keep warm in a low oven for a few minutes.

 

Serve on a nice bun, buttered and toasted for a minute or so in a skillet – like hamburger buns or toasted, thick bread (like Texas Toast), or a French roll – whatever appeals to you and spread the warmed, toasted bread with mayo – serve with extra horsey mayo or tabasco (in case you have friends who need extra heat!) and lettuce, if you wish, and serve with pickles and chips.  Yum!