Pork Scaloppine with Mom's Coleslaw

Thin meat, breaded like this, is one of our favorites. And you can't go wrong with my mother's coleslaw. The scaloppine takes a little effort to prepare, but the crunchy/juicy combination of breaded pork with lemon-butter sauce is worth a little extra time and mess in the kitchen.

Making coleslaw is incredibly easy. There are only two secrets: cut the cabbage as thin as you can, and no matter what size bowl you grab, you'll wish you had grabbed a bigger one. When you add the salt and pepper, remember that moderation is the enemy of flavor. Toss everything thoroughly between (frequent) tastings, and you can't go wrong.

The sauce is fairly straight-forward to make. Be sure to really whisk and cook the flour before you continue to the next step. You only need to stir it occasionally after you've added the other ingredients. You'll know it's ready when it has a nice sheen and a tart lemon flavor. Reduce heat to low and give it a final stir when you're ready to plate.

When it comes to pounding meat, I learned everything I know from Alton Brown on Good Eats. A ziplock bag and a bit of water makes this an easy and tidy task. Slosh a bit of water in the bag and pour it out, then add the meat a piece at a time. Press the air out of the bag and lightly hammer it with your mallet until you're happy with the thickness. Gently remove the meat and repeat.

Normally when you bread meat you start with a coat of flour. In the interest of making this dish (slightly) healthy, we've omitted that step. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure that I can taste a difference. Some recipes season the egg bath or the bread mixture with salt and pepper, but it always seems like the flavor gets lost when I do that, so make sure you season the meat before you begin.

With the above set-up, I use my left hand to grab a cutlet, dip it in the egg bath, and drop it into the bread crumbs. Then I use my right hand to scoop some crumbs on top of the meat, give it a good pat and gently shake loose the extra crumbs before I arranged it on the pan. This method helps me to avoid the "club hand". Do it differently and you'll see what I mean.

Using the broiler instead of sauteing the cutlets in butter is faster, cleaner, and a bit healthier. I still prefer the flavor of the full-fat method, but Kate and I agreed that this was a fantastic dish.

(Cuisine Lite, pp 46-47.)


For the Scaloppine:

• 1 lb Pork Tenderloin, sliced into 12 rounds
• 1-2 C Panko Bread Crumbs
• 1/3 C Parmesan, grated
• 1-2 Eggs
• 1 Tbsp Water
• 1 Tbsp Butter, unsalted
• 1 Tbsp AP Flour
• 1 C Chicken Broth
• 2 Tbsp Capers
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 Tbsp Sage, chopped

1. Preheat broiler on high with rack 6-8" from top. Pound Pork into 1/4" thick cutlets. Spray non-stick oil on broiler pan.
2. Mix Panko and Parmesan in shallow dish, and whisk Egg and Water in another shallow dish. Dip Pork in Egg mix, then toss Pork in bread crumbs, shaking off excess before arranging on broiler pan. Spray lightly with non-stick oil.
3. Broil 3 minutes, flip cutlets, and broil 3 more minutes. Remove from oven.
4. Melt Butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add Flour and cook 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly.
5. Whisk in Broth, then add Capers, Zest, Lemon Juice and Sage. Cook until sauce begins to thicken, 8-10 minutes.
6. Arrange cutlets on plate and spoon sauce on top.

For the Coleslaw:

• 1/2 Head of Cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 C Carrot, shredded (optional)
• 1/2 C Mayonnaise
• Lemon Salt
• Onion Salt
• Black Pepper

1. Mix Cabbage, Carrot and Mayonnaise in a large bowl.
2. Add generous scoop of Lemon Salt, Onion Salt and Pepper.
3. After tossing to coat, taste and adjust seasoning as needed.