Costoletta di Maiale alla Milanese

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Meat mallet or heavy pan for pounding
• •Large heavy skillet (12-inch cast iron works well)
• •Wire rack set over a sheet pan
• •Three shallow dishes for breading station
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the chops

   Place each pork chop on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut horizontally through the meat toward the bone, stopping about half an inch from the bone. Open the chop like a book. You are creating a larger, thinner surface while keeping the bone attached. This is called butterflying.

   Ask your butcher to do this if you are not confident with a knife. A good butcher understands what you need for cotoletta.
2. 2

   Pound the meat

   Place each butterflied chop between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan, pound the meat to an even thickness of about one-quarter inch. Work from the center outward. Be firm but controlled. The meat should be thin enough to cook quickly but thick enough to remain juicy. The area near the bone will be thicker. This is acceptable.

   Do not tear the meat. If you see holes forming, you are pounding too aggressively. The plastic wrap helps, but restraint helps more.
3. 3

   Season the pork

   Remove the plastic wrap and season both sides of each pounded chop generously with kosher salt. Let them rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. The salt will begin to dissolve and penetrate the meat. Cold meat goes into hot fat badly. Room temperature meat cooks evenly.

4. 4

   Set up the breading station

   Arrange three shallow dishes in a row. Place the flour in the first dish. Beat the eggs thoroughly in the second dish until no streaks of white remain. Place the breadcrumbs in the third dish. This order matters. Flour, egg, crumbs. Always.

5. 5

   Bread the cutlets

   Working with one chop at a time, dredge it thoroughly in flour, shaking off the excess. The flour must coat every surface but should not clump. Dip the floured chop into the beaten egg, letting the excess drip back into the dish. Finally, press the chop firmly into the breadcrumbs, coating both sides completely. The crumbs should adhere in an even layer with no bare spots. Set aside on a wire rack. Do not stack the breaded cutlets.

   Use one hand for the dry ingredients and one for the wet. This prevents your fingers from becoming breaded. An old technique, still the best one.
6. 6

   Clarify the butter

   If you have not already clarified your butter, do so now. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. When melted, let it sit for a few minutes. The milk solids will sink to the bottom. Carefully pour off the clear golden butterfat, leaving the white solids behind. This clarified butter can reach higher temperatures without burning.

   You may clarify butter days ahead and refrigerate it. It keeps for weeks. Professional kitchens always have it ready.
7. 7

   Fry the cutlets

   Heat the clarified butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. The butter should come about one-quarter inch up the sides of the pan. When a breadcrumb dropped in sizzles immediately, the butter is ready. Add one or two cutlets, depending on the size of your pan. Do not crowd them. Fry until the bottom is deeply golden, 3 to 4 minutes. The color should be rich and even, not pale, not dark brown. Turn carefully with a spatula and fry the second side until equally golden, another 3 to 4 minutes.

   If the cutlets brown too quickly, your heat is too high. If they absorb oil and become greasy, your heat is too low. Adjust as you go. Your eyes tell you more than any timer.
8. 8

   Rest and serve

   Transfer the fried cutlets to a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Do not place them on paper towels, which will steam the bottom crust and make it soggy. Let them rest for 2 minutes. This allows the internal temperature to equalize and the crust to set. Serve immediately on warmed plates with lemon wedges alongside. The lemon is not decorative. Squeeze it over the cutlet. The acid cuts the richness and brings everything into focus.

Chef Tips

• •The breadcrumbs must be fine and dry. Panko is Japanese. This is Milan. Use plain dry breadcrumbs or make your own by drying out good white bread and processing it to a fine texture.
• •Pork rib chops work better than loin chops for this preparation. The rib chops have more fat marbling, which keeps the meat juicy after pounding and frying.
• •Do not reuse the frying butter. Once you have cooked all four cutlets, the butter will be dark with burnt crumb particles. Discard it. Using fresh butter for each batch may seem extravagant, but the alternative is a bitter taste.
• •In Milan, this is often served with nothing but lemon. Some add arugula dressed with olive oil and lemon. Potato salad or simple roasted potatoes are also acceptable. Rich sauces are not.

Advance Preparation

• •The cutlets can be breaded up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerated on a wire rack, uncovered. Bring them to room temperature for 20 minutes before frying.
• •Clarified butter can be made days ahead and refrigerated. Melt it gently before using.
• •Do not fry ahead and reheat. The crust will never recover its crispness. This is a last-minute dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)