Pork Loin Two Ways - Crispy Fried Cutlets and Baked Parmesan Crusted With Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

I had purchased a whole pork loin and cut it into 6-7 inch roasts with the idea of using some of it for schnitzel-like dishes and I’d saved Pam’s recipe for Crispy Pork Medallions on her “For The Love Of Cooking” blog, which I had planned to use as written.  But then I decided to use her recipe but substitute the loin cutlets for the tenderloin medallions.

Crispy Pork Cutlets – Adapted from For The Love Of Cooking

Ingredients:

1 piece pork loin roast

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 cup panko crumbs – note1

¼ cup parmesan finely grated – note1

3 tbsp flour

1 jumbo egg well-beaten

½ tsp dried dill

½ tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried parsley

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder 

4 tbsp vegetable oil divided

Note 1 – I used parmesan flavored Panko

Instructions:

Prepare the pork by removing the silver skin and fat cap and cutting off four ½” slices.

Using a Jaccard, pound the pork to a ¼-inch thickness.

Season both sides of the pork with salt and black pepper to taste.

Make a breading assembly line with three separate shallow bowls.

Put each dried herb in the palm of your hand and rub with a finger to make it smaller then mix them well with the spices.

Pour the flour into a bowl and season with 1/4 tsp of the herb/blend and mix well.

Whisk together the eggs and season with 1/4 tsp of the herb/spice blend and mix well.

Add the panko crumbs to a shallow bowl and mix in the remaining herb/spice blend.

Dredge the pork by dipping each cutlet (using a fork) first into the flour mixture, then coating it in the egg mixture, then pressing the cutlets firmly into the panko mixture on both sides until evenly coated.

Place them in an even layer on a plate.

Refrigerate the coated cutlets, uncovered, for 30 minutes.  Side Note: Don’t skip this step; it helps the coating really adhere to the pork.

Cook the pork cutlets by heating 2 tablespoons of oil in a cast-iron skillet(s) or large nonstick skillet(s) over medium-high heat until hot. Place the coated pork medallions directly into the HOT skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. Cook the pork in batches to prevent overcrowding the skillet.

Carefully flip the pork cutlets over to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to a wire cooling rack. Finish the process with the remaining pork cutlets. 

We served it with baked sweet potato.

The Verdict:

We all thought the pork was very good, crispy, and fork tender but for the life of me, I can't seem to get enough salt on meat.

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chop – slightly adapted from Plain Chicken

I had made this dish in 2012 and don’t know if I’ve made it again, so since we all loved it, I decided to make it now, but differently.  The first time, I grilled the chops then added the topping and broiled it but this time, I seared the two 1¼” thick chops in a skillet then flipped, added the topping and baked them in the oven to 135F internal temperature.  Click on the link for the previous recipe.

Since there was only two chops, I made it a Turf and Turf meal by cooking a strip steak that Bev had bought on "quick sale" so we had plenty of meat with some leftovers.

We sided the meat with sliced brussels sprouts and onions that Bev had bought at the store.  I used this recipe:

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

5 slices thick cut bacon

Pkg of sprouts and onions

Heavy shake of Tiger Seasoning

S&P to taste

3 tbsp grated parmesan

Directions:

Slice the bacon into ½” pieces and cook over medium heat in a skillet until crispy then remove to a dish.

Add the sprouts, onions, and garlic to the skillet with the bacon grease, season with S&P, cover, and cook until nearly tender - I included the rosemary sprig.

I had this part done mid afternoon.

Remove the lid and cook to achieve the desired amount of caramelization.

Stir in the parmesan, adjust seasoning, add the bacon, and serve.

The Verdict:

I liked the pork chop but the topping didn't brown just baking it in the oven (vs. the broiler last time) but the sprouts were very good and I will definitely make them again.  The prepacked made it very easy and cooking them early until almost done worked well and made it easy to time them with the meat.

Photos can be slightly enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

12/8 & 12/10/25 event dates