Crispy Sage Pork Cutlets from Red Haven Farm

Today’s recipe comes courtesy of Red Haven Farm, one of the fine purveyors at the Collegeville Farmer’s Market. I purchased some beautiful pastured pork cutlets for dinner from Melanie and decided to try the recipe that she had printed out.

This is a recipe that requires a few more steps and it can get kind of messy, so roll up those shirt-sleeves and get into it because the results are delicious.

If you do not have pork cutlets on hand, chicken could substitute nicely.

Crispy Sage Pork Cutlets

1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or plain bread crumbs

1 Tablespoon finely chopped sage

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Sea salt/freshly ground black pepper

1 egg

2 Tablespoons of water

2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

2-4 Tablespoons of oil or a combination of oil and butter – enough to generously cover bottom of pan

4 Red Haven pork cutlets

Sauce:

½ small onion, chopped

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup chicken stock

2 Tablespoons capers, or more to taste

1 teaspoon chopped sage

A generous splash of heavy cream

Sea salt/freshly ground black pepper

Line a large plate with waxed paper for your raw, coated cutlets.                                                                          

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees and line a baking sheet with some foil/parchment to keep your cooked cutlets warm in the  oven.                                                                                                                                                               

Prepare 3 shallow bowls/pie plates in the following order to keep things moving along:                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 In first bowl, combine panko, sage, lemon zest and salt and pepper.  In the second bowl, whisk the egg with the water.   In the third bowl, combine mayonnaise and mustard.

Dredge cutlets in mayo-mustard mix (you can use a brush to ‘paint’ it on cutlets), then dip in egg mix, then finally into panko.  Place prepared cutlets on wax paper-lined plate and repeat with remaining cutlets. (If you have the time, placing the prepared cutlets in the fridge for a bit will help the coating to really adhere to the cutlets.)

Heat the oil in a skillet large enough to fit two cutlets, over medium-high heat. You will be cooking this in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan – you don’t want to lose that delicious coating. When the oil comes to heat, add cutlets and cook, turning once, until nicely browned on both sides. This will only take a few minutes per side – you don’t want to overcook this lean pork.  Transfer to baking sheet in oven to keep warm while you make the sauce.

Remove excess oil and crusty bits from your pan. Return to heat and sauté the onion until translucent in oil remaining in pan. Turn the heat to high. Add the wine, chicken stock and sage and cover pan with a lid.  Bring to a boil, remove the lid and allow sauce to boil gently for a few minutes, until slightly reduced. Lower the heat to a medium low simmer then add the capers and the cream. Simmer for a few more minutes until the sauce has thickened. Serve the cutlets with the sauce. Enjoy!