Pan-Fried Pork Cutlets (Six Versions!)

Pan Fried Pork Cutlets
Serve 4

4 boneless pork chops or pork half loin, 4-5 ounces each
2 tablespoons, flour
Seasoning
1 egg lightly beaten, in a bowl
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
Seasoning
2 tablespoons cooking oil

1. Place chops or cutlets between think sheets of plastic or in freezer Ziploc bag. Pound thinly (1/4 inch).
2. Mix together flour and your seasoning of choice on a plate or large bowl. (See options below.) Place panko crumbs on another plate or large bowl and toss with seasoning. (See options below.)
3. Lay the pork in the flour and coat both side.
4. Dip in egg wash, turning to coat both sides.
5. Lay in panko crumbs, turning to coat both sides.
6. Preheat non-stick skillet over medium heat.
7. Add cooking oil. When it is hot, carefully lay the pork in the skillet.
8. All the pork to cook until the crumbs are beginning to brown (4-5 minutes). Flip and repeat on the other side.
9. Serve with your choice of sides. (I had my Asian Cole Slaw and homemade Kimchi. Sure, I was blending national cultures, but it is my kitchen! I can eat what I like!)

Nutritional data (for a 4 ounce raw cutlet):

Calories:      221

Fat:           10.2g

Sat fat:        1.5g

Chol:         60mg

Sodium:   253mg

Carbs:         8.5g

Fiber:          0.6g

Protein:     24.2g

Choices of seasonings:

Above is the basic recipe that can be modified to suit many needs.  When mixing the seasoning for this recipe, if the seasoning is a powder, it should be mixed into the flour. If it is more of a flake or dried herb, it gets added to the panko. That keeps the textures in each layer consistent.

For my meal, I used Chinese Five Spice powder (one of the few spice blends that is not available from Penzey's) in my flour and panko for an Asian flavor, which fit well with my chosen side dishes.

For a more German flavor, use crushed mustard, garlic and rosemary (or just get Penzey's Bavarian Seasoning) and serve with German potato salad and warm sauerkraut and a robust German Oktoberfest from Paulaner or Hacker-Pschorr.

If you want a more Russian characteristic add garlic, cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg (Penzey's Tsar Dust Memories), served with a nice cold beet salad (I have a recipe for that, but it isn't online yet) and coarse dark rye bread would be excellent. A Russian beer, such as Baltika #2 (pale lager) would work well, but Baltika #6 (Baltic Porter) is big enough to stand up to the robust flavors of this meal and would be a better choice.

Do you like Polish flavors? Use salt, pepper, coriander, garlic, crushed mustard and some sugar (Penzey's Krakow Nights) served with a pile of braised cabbage with tart apples and smokey bacon, and a crisp Polish pilsner, such as Okocim.

A nice Italian flair would use basil, oregano, garlic and black pepper (Penzey's Tuscan Sunset) served with angel hair pasta, boiled until al dente, drained, and then put into a skillet with olive oil and a LOT of garlic over medium high heat and toss until the garlic gets fragrant and lightly browned. (I would love to give a recommended wine for this dish, but to be totally honest, I am not that good at pairing wines. I like wines, but I love beers, so my strength is beer. Sorry.)

Northern Wisconsin flavor (my home territory) needs black pepper, coarse salt, paprika, thyme, rosemary and garlic (Penzey's Northwoods Seasoning), crispy American fried potatoes, and my roasted carrots and peas. This needs a true Wisconsin beer, such as Leinenkugel Original, but I would suggest New Glarus Two Women which is crisp and balanced or Moon Man, which is bold and hoppy. But to get the New Glarus beers, you will need to travel to Wisconsin, as New Glarus does not distribute out of state.

Truly, the options are endless with this very basic fried meat. And if you buy a cutlet made from a half loin it will be very lean, too.

Note: I do not get any compensation from Penzey's (and I tried) or the breweries (wouldn't that be cool, though?) I just really enjoy all that they offer and want more people to know about them.

Two questions: 

1. Which version do you think you will try first?
2. What wine would you suggest with the Italian version?