Pounded Pork

Pounded Pork

One of my all time favorite “go to” recipes!

INGREDIENTS

4 (1 Inch Thick) Center Cut Pork Chops

½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt

½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper

2 Lightly Beaten Large Eggs

1 Cup Bread Crumbs (Lightly Toasted)

¼ Cup Plus 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter

1 Bunch Arugula

1 Diced Tomato

1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice

Using a meat mallet, carefully pound the pork chops until they are ¼ inch thick. You can remove the bone if you want, but you don’t have to. Season the pork chops with the salt and pepper. Dip each pork chop into the beaten eggs. Allow the excess to drip off . Dredge each pork chop in the bread crumbs and set on a plate. In a large skillet heat ¼ cup of the olive oil over a medium heat until just smoking. Add the butter and allow it to foam for 15 seconds. Place the chops in the pan and cook for 5 minutes until golden brown on one side. The trick is to cook the chops slowly over an even medium heat so that they cook through without burning the bread crumb crust. Using tongs carefully turn the chops and cook on the other side for 5 more minutes until light golden brown. Add more oil if necessary (1/2 tablespoon at a time to avoid scorching the breading).

In a large bowl combine the arugula (remove the stems) and tomatoes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss to coat the greens. Place one pork chop on each of the four warmed dinner plates. Divide the arugula salad evenly among the plates and serve immediately. Serves 4