Anyone else go through phases where you're slightly obsessed with cutlets? My obsession flips between chicken and pork, naturally, since these are the two most common. But man, homemade cutlets rule, right? If you haven't found your go-to recipe for this, I hope you will consider my crunchy pork cutlets. These cutlets are a crunch lovers dream and the garlic zucchini pasta is a fantastic side. So - whether you know your way around the kitchen or you're just starting out at a beginner level of cooking: I'll be with you every step of the way.
what is a cutlet?
A cutlet is a thin cut of meat that is breaded and fried. The most common variety of cutlet are coated with plain or panko bread crumbs. The meat is typically dredged in egg, flour and finished with bread crumbs coating the outside. Cutlets are thin so if you don't buy them that way you will need to pound them with a kitchen mallet, rolling pin or frying pan.
What is the best oil for frying cutlets?
In a word: peanut. I've done a lot of cooking, like, a lot a lot. For many years, I used olive oil when I made chicken or pork cutlets. And this is a great option if you want a slightly healthier cutlet. Then I tried vegetable and canola oils for frying cutlets and these are both solid options.
However, with canola and vegetable oils, I get slightly tired of... that taste. This may be something only I experience or maybe there are others. Like with cilantro: some people insist it tastes like soap which I don't get at all. With veg. and canola oil, I sometimes taste something that bothers me a little. The taste of the oil feels a little... overwhelming.
I started getting into peanut oil when I made my fancy french fries with garlic, butter & parmesan and Anthony Bourdain's Macau-style pork sandwich. I mean, if Anthony Bourdain says to use peanut oil - you use peanut oil. I'd also heard that Five Guys used peanut oil for their fries and wanted to make my fries with peanut oil as well. After trying many oils, I just love peanut oil the best - especially for frying cutlets and making french fries.
Garlic zucchini pasta: Easy side dish with a ton of flavor
Okay, if you haven't use salted pasta water when making a pasta dish at this point - we need to talk. This, quite simply, is an excellent way to elevate the flavor and sauciness of many pasta dishes.
This is especially true when making a simple, flavorful angel hair pasta to serve on the side of your entree. If you feel overwhelmed making cutlets and aren't ready to add a second component like a pasta side - it's totally fine. You can serve these cutlets with your favorite veggies or a side salad.
But crunchy pork cutlets with a side of garlicky pasta is a match made in culinary heaven. I've made it really easy: there's only five ingredients:
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- Angel hair pasta
- Garlic
- Zucchini
- Parmesan cheese
- Pasta water
One of the most important ingredients is the pasta water. You've GOT TO season your pasts water with salt. This must be done. I usually put two teaspoons of salt in my pasta water. Once you cook the pasta, the water is cloudy with the starch. This makes a perfect sauce base so you'll ladle that onto the pasta in the final phase of cooking.
from healthy to indulgent: we've got you covered
As I've said many times, there has never been a better time to learn how to cook or to make the choice to cook food in your own kitchen. Restaurants have priced themselves out of the market for the average person. I don't know how families can afford to go out to eat anymore. Groceries are expensive too, but you can find deals and use coupons. The package of pork I bought for this recipe was only $4.53 and I got 8 cutlets out of it!
I try to offer a range of foods on my site from healthy to indulgent and strive to show you all the steps to make a great meal. Cooking at home is a choice. Getting to know your kitchen, menu planning, cooking techniques, and cooking itself is such a joy. I hope you can make the time to plan delicious meals for yourself and your loved ones. I'll be with you every step of the way.
Easy stepS for making pork cutlets
Crunchy Pork Cutlets with Garlic Zucchini Pasta
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 portions 1x
Description
Want to make the best crunchy pork cutlets with garlic zucchini pasta? I’ll show you how: let’s go!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed zucchini (approx. 1 medium to large zucchini)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely diced (3 large cloves)
- 2.5-3 pounds sirloin end pork chops (see notes)
- 1 ½ cups fresh grated parmesan reggiano cheese, or jarred stuff (plus more for the side)
- ½ pound of angel hair pasta
- 2 teaspoons salt (for the pasta water)
- ½ to ¾ cup reserved pasta water
- Lemon wedges for garnish, optional
- Fresh basil garnish, optional
- Peanut oil for frying (or vegetable or canola)
Dredging station
- 3-4 cups of panko bread crumbs (start with 3, add more if needed)
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
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Instructions
- Cut one medium to large zucchini in half across the middle. Then cut the halves in half. Cut into thicker strips, then cut into bite-sized cubes. My video shows this well.
- Finely dice the garlic.
- Sirloin end pork chops sometimes come boneless and sometimes have the bone. Mine had the bone. Just use kitchen shears to cut it out – it’s easy. Save the bone pieces to cook another time or use for pork broth. Trim the larger strips of fat from around the pork. Cut the large pieces of pork in half, pound and season. I got 8 cutlets total out of this. Four larger and four smaller ones. I usually put plastic over the pork and pound with a kitchen mallet. You can also use a rolling pin or frying pan to get the pork down to ¼” in thickness.
- Season the pounded-down pork with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Set up dredge station with flour, eggs, panko. Using small sheet pans works or wide-rimmed bowls – whatever you have. Add the salt to the flour and mix with a fork.
- Here’s how the dredge works. Egg > flour > egg > bread crumbs. Dip each cutlet in the egg first, then the flour (coating evenly all over), then the egg a second time, then cover with panko bread crumbs. Set aside on a plate or sheet pan. Do this for all the cutlets.
- Grate fresh cheese if you chose this way. I had some parmesan reggiano on hand and used that. If you can splurge for that – it’s awesome. If not, no biggie. Regular jarred grated parmesan cheese works great too.
- If you’re garnishing with fresh basil, chop that now and same with lemon wedges.
- Plan your time and make sure you have a large pot of water at a boil by the time you are finished cooking the cutlets. Don’t forget to add two teaspoons of salt to your pasta water.
- In a large pan heat oil and get it hot, then add the cutlets and cook for about 4 minutes. Heat should be on medium. You should be able to see them getting golden brown around the edges. Carefully turn them and cook a couple more minutes until cooked through.
- Transfer cooked cutlets to a paper towel lined sheet pan too cool a bit.
- You should drop the angel hair pasta in the boiling water about the same time you start cooking the zucchini. Angel hair only takes about 6 minutes to cook.
- Heat some olive oil in a pan and add the zucchini. Sautee a few minutes on medium to high heat. Add a splash more oil to the middle of the pan and add the garlic. Let it cook for a minute to get fragrant before combing with zucchini.
- Transfer cooked pasta right from the pot to the pan. Mix the garlic, zucchini and angel hair together. Add the cheese and pasta water and mix again and now it’s done. Add half a cup of pasta water to start and more if needed.
- I usually put my pasta in a large mixing bowl which can also double as a serving dish. This is when I taste it and decide it needs more cheese. It’s easier to mix when in a large bowl. J If you want it a little creamier add more pasta water but watch the salt at this point. You may just want to add warm tap water to moisten the pasta.
- If you have flaky kosher salt on hand, you can sprinkle a little on the pork cutlets. Garnish everything with fresh chopped basil, lemon wedges and pepper flakes if you want a little kick to it. Enjoy!
Notes
- Yes, you can use another kind of pork for this. The pork loin, the center cut pork – you choose. I like the sirloin end pork chop because it’s a darker more flavorful cut. Don’t pick a cut that is too thick or you won’t be able to pound it down to the ¼” cutlet size.
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