Côtes de Porc Frais à la Milanaise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Flat-sided meat mallet or small heavy saucepan
• •Three shallow dishes for the panure
• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •Thin flexible spatula
• •Wire rack set over a rimmed sheet pan
• •Large oval serving platter and sauceboat
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the holding oven

   Heat the oven to 200°F (95°C). Set a wire rack over a rimmed sheet pan and place it in the oven; this replaces the brigade’s immediate passage from pan to platter and keeps the first chops warm without trapping moisture beneath their crust. Warm a large oval serving platter as well, provided it is oven-safe.

   A rack matters. Chops held flat on a plate soften underneath because their own heat is trapped against the crust.
2. 2

   Flatten the chops

   Pat the pork dry. Place each chop between sheets of parchment and flatten only the meaty portion with the flat side of a mallet until it is about 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick; the old butcher’s beater has become an ordinary mallet or the base of a small heavy saucepan. Keep the bone attached and avoid striking it. Season both sides with the salt and pepper.

3. 3

   Warm the accompaniments

   Warm the Milanaise garnish from Côte de Veau Milanaise (No. 1258) according to its own entry, covered and over gentle heat. Warm the tomato sauce separately, then cover both and hold them off the heat. Do not combine them: the garnish belongs in the center of the platter, while the sauce is passed at the table.

4. 4

   Paner à l’anglaise

   Set the flour in one shallow dish. Pour the prepared Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174) into a second. Mix the breadcrumbs and Parmesan thoroughly in a third, keeping the book’s proportion of two parts crumbs to one part cheese by volume. Dust each chop lightly with flour and shake off every excess, coat it completely in the Anglaise, then press it into the Parmesan crumbs on both sides. Clear stray coating from the bare bone and rest the breaded chops for 5 minutes so the panure adheres.

   If the coating slides, the flour was either too heavy or the pork was damp. Ça se rattrape: brush off the loose patch, dust it very lightly with fresh flour, dip that spot again, and press on more crumbs.
5. 5

   Set the first crust

   Melt half the butter in a wide heavy skillet over medium heat. When it foams actively and a stray crumb sizzles at once, add two chops without crowding them. Let the panure set untouched for 45 seconds, then lower the heat to medium-low. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the underside is evenly butter-gold and releases when a thin spatula slides beneath it.

6. 6

   Cook gently in butter

   Turn the chops carefully and cook the second side for another 3 to 4 minutes, spooning a little foaming butter around their edges, until the crust is golden and the pork reaches about 140°F (60°C). If the Parmesan darkens before the center is ready, lift the chops out at once, lower the heat, wipe away burnt crumbs, and add fresh butter before returning them. Ça se rattrape. Transfer the first batch to the rack in the low oven, then cook the remaining chops in the remaining butter. After their brief rest, every chop must reach at least 145°F (63°C).

7. 7

   Build the platter

   Spoon the hot Milanaise garnish into the center of the warmed platter. Arrange the four chops around it in a circle, overlapping them slightly with the bones pointing outward. Pour the hot tomato sauce into a warm sauceboat and serve it apart, never over the crust. The macaroni is generous, the butter shows, and nobody needs tweezers. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for fresh, uncured rib chops with the bone attached, cut no thicker than 3/4 inch (2 cm). A very thick chop cannot be flattened evenly around its bone and will force you to burn the crust while waiting for the center.
• •Use fine, dry breadcrumbs rather than coarse panko. The panure should form one close, resisting coat, and the finely grated Parmesan must disperse through it instead of sitting in clumps that scorch.
• •Butter, not margarine and not a neutral frying fat. The source is plain about this. Control the heat and refresh the butter between batches if the milk solids darken; the flavor of properly cooked butter belongs to the dish.
• •Keep the tomato sauce smooth, bright, and fairly light. Pass it separately so each person can add it beside the chop, preserving the Parmesan crust.
• •A light, brisk red such as Beaujolais-Villages suits the pork, Parmesan, tomato, and Madeira-scented garnish without making this weeknight platter heavy.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the Milanaise garnish from Côte de Veau Milanaise (No. 1258) and the tomato sauce earlier in the day. Reheat each separately and gently while the pork is being breaded.
• •The Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174) can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Whisk it briefly before use.
• •The chops may be flattened and breaded up to 2 hours ahead. Refrigerate them uncovered on a rack, then let them stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking so the panure sets evenly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 420g)