Pork Milanese

Anything "Milanese" really just means breaded, and possibly pounded out flat.

So this time it's pork loin chops, not pounded out, because I prefer there to be more meat than breading in each bite.

But to each their own.

Standard lineup of flour, beaten egg, and then a combination of panko bread crumbs with a bit of grated parmigiano reggiano mixed in.

Room temperature one inch thick pork loin chops, which I season with salt and a bit of dried ground sage before going through the breading process.

In a skillet on medium high with a tablespoon or two of olive oil in it, cook in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan so the chops get crispy rather than steamed, about 3-4 minutes per side.

You may have to add more oil to the pan when you flip, as the breadcrumbs will absorb some of it as they cook.

Hideous photo, but tasty food.

Finish with a spritz of lemon juice and a side of vegetables, and dinner is done.

Stay tuned for my clever use of the leftover breading assembly line!

Super Crunch

I've been sick all weekend so this is more of a "tip" post than any great meal recipe. But hopefully it will be the kind of forehead-smacking tip that works out for you.

Do you ever wonder why your breaded fish or chicken doesn't come out as crispy as you want it to when you make it at home? It's not just because restaurants put beer in their fry batter.

I'm going to tell you a super easy (and obvious) way to fix that problem:

Double bread it!

Flour, egg, panko breadcrumbs, then BACK in the egg, back in the breadcrumbs, and then into a hot pan with oil.

Ignore the mess of grilled zucchini and focus on the fish

I start by seasoning the fish (this one happened to be a massive flounder filet) with salt (and optional pepper), and I add sweet paprika and ground savory to the flour for dusting. 

Shake off the excess flour and dip it into the egg, and then into your breadcrumbs. 

(I prefer both the taste and the texture of panko to traditional bread crumbs. I also add a little grated parmigiano reggiano or pecorino to my breadcrumbs!) 

Allow the bread crumbs to set for a few minutes, and then go for a second dip in your beaten eggs, and then back in the bread crumbs.

In a non-stick pan, use just a little more oil than you would if you were cooking the protein un-breaded, so that there is enough to turn your breading golden-brown, but not so much that it's a soggy mess.

I frequently add more oil to the pan for each batch that I cook.

The resulting crust should be thick and crispy, and totally satisfying for crunch factor.
Good luck!