Scaloppine di Maiale al Limone

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large 12-inch skillet (not nonstick, you need fond to form)
• •Meat mallet or rolling pin
• •Wooden spoon for deglazing

Instructions

1. 1

   Pound the pork thin

   Place each pork medallion between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound each piece to an even thickness of one-quarter inch. The meat should be uniformly thin. Uneven thickness means uneven cooking, and uneven cooking means failure. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.

   Do not skip the plastic wrap. It prevents tearing and keeps the meat from sticking to your mallet. Work from the center outward with firm, even strokes.
2. 2

   Dredge in flour

   Spread the flour on a large plate. Dredge each pounded cutlet in flour, coating both sides completely. Shake off all excess flour. The coating should be whisper-thin, barely visible. Thick flour becomes gummy paste. Set the cutlets on a wire rack or clean plate. They should not touch or the coating becomes damp.

3. 3

   Sear the scaloppine

   Heat the olive oil and two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter foam subsides and you see the first wisps of smoke, add half the cutlets in a single layer. Do not crowd the pan. Cook without moving until golden brown on the bottom, about two minutes. Turn and cook the second side another two minutes. The meat should be golden, not gray. Transfer to a warm plate. Repeat with remaining cutlets, adding a bit more oil if the pan looks dry.

   If you hear gentle sizzling, your pan is too cool. You want an aggressive hiss the moment the meat hits the fat. This is how you get color.
4. 4

   Deglaze with wine

   Pour off any excess fat from the pan but keep all the brown bits on the bottom. These are flavor. Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the fond. Let the wine bubble and reduce by half, about one minute. You should no longer smell raw alcohol.

5. 5

   Build the sauce

   Add the lemon juice and chicken broth to the pan. Bring to a vigorous simmer and let reduce until the liquid coats a spoon lightly, about three minutes. Add the capers. Remove the pan from heat and swirl in the remaining two tablespoons of cold butter, one piece at a time. The butter should emulsify into the sauce, making it glossy and slightly thickened. Do not let it boil after adding the butter or it will break.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Return the pork cutlets and any accumulated juices to the pan. Spoon the sauce over the meat and let it warm through for thirty seconds, no more. The meat is already cooked. Further cooking makes it tough. Transfer to a warm serving platter, spoon all the sauce over the top, scatter the parsley, and bring it to the table immediately. This is not a dish that waits.

Chef Tips

• •Pork tenderloin must be trimmed of its silver skin before slicing. The silver skin shrinks when heated and will cause the cutlets to curl and cook unevenly.
• •Cold butter, added off heat, creates emulsification. If your sauce looks greasy rather than glossy, you added the butter while the pan was too hot. There is no fixing this.
• •The capers should be rinsed regardless of whether they are packed in salt or brine. Salt-packed capers have better texture, but either will work. Taste them first. If they are aggressively salty, soak them in cold water for ten minutes.
• •This technique works equally well with chicken breast pounded thin. The cooking time remains the same. What matters is the thickness of the meat, not the type.

Advance Preparation

• •The pork can be pounded and seasoned up to four hours ahead. Stack the cutlets between parchment paper and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature for fifteen minutes before cooking.
• •The sauce cannot be made ahead. It takes four minutes. This is not a hardship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 200g)