Pork Cutlets Parmigiana

By Pierre Franey

Updated January 22, 2017

  • Craig Lee for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
About 1 hour
Rating
4(583)
Comments
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This Italian-American comfort food recipe came to The Times in 1993 in one of Pierre Franey's beloved “60-Minute Gourmet” columns. His version of the classic casserole calls for slices of pork loin, a “lean, moist and versatile” option, Mr. Franey said, which are pounded thin then breaded and pan-fried until golden. A simple tomato sauce of canned crushed tomatoes, onions, garlic and oregano comes together in about five minutes, which is layered in a baking dish with the cutlets and topped with a blanket of mozzarella. The whole dish is showered with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and baked until bubbly. Mr. Franey suggested serving it with spaghetti, which seems like a great idea to us, but we might add a tangle of sautéed broccoli rabe to cut through the richness.

Featured in: 60-Minute Gourmet

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 8 thin slices lean boneless loin of pork, about 2 ounces each

  • 1 egg, beaten

  • 3 tablespoons water

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

  • 1 ½ cups fine fresh bread crumbs

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped onions

  • 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes

  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano, or ½ teaspoon crumbled dried

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 4 thin slices of mozzarella cheese, sliced in half

  • 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

18 grams carbs; 134 milligrams cholesterol; 518 calories; 22 grams monosaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 35 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 749 milligrams sodium; 35 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pound each slice of pork on a flat surface with a meat pounder or a mallet to about ¼-inch thick. (Properly pounded slices will look like veal scallopini.)

  2. Step 2

    Place the egg, water, cumin, rosemary and salt and pepper in a mixing bowl, and beat well. Place the bread crumbs on a flat dish.

  3. Step 3

    Dip the pork slices in the egg mixture to coat and then dip in the bread crumbs. Pat lightly with the flat side of a kitchen knife to help the crumbs to adhere.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the garlic and onions. Cook, stirring for one minute; do not brown. Add the tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and place as many cutlets as possible in one layer. When the slices are golden brown on one side, about 3 minutes, cook on the other side for 3 minutes. As the pieces are done, transfer them to a heated platter. Add more oil, if necessary, to the skillet, and continue cooking the rest of the slices in the same manner.

  6. Step 6

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  7. Step 7

    In a baking dish large enough to hold the cutlets in one layer, spoon a little sauce over the bottom, add the cutlets, spoon more tomato sauce on top and cover each cutlet with mozzarella cheese. Add the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the dish and bake until piping hot and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

Tip

  • This dish can be made ahead of time and placed in the oven just before serving.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
583 user ratings
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Comments

PSS

If making this ahead of time, should you keep the cutlets separate from the prepared sauce and assemble just before going in the oven so they don't get soggy? Or will they lose their crispness either way?

Elisabeth P

When our kids were little, on Friday nights we used to bake them a pizza, set them up in front of the Muppet Show (yay, PBS!), and fix ourselves a "Friday Night Dinner" out of Pierre Franey's 60-min. gourmet recipes. We think it saved our marriage! I never tried this recipe, but I will now.

John B

Yes, you can substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Slice them horizontally, use a mallet or whatever to pound them thin. I also dip them in flour and shake off the excess to give them a thin coating before dipping them into the egg wash. It makes everything adhere better. Good luck!

Dana

3 minutes per side seems long. The pork came out a bit less tender than i like. I will cut time on the flip side if i make it again.

Charley

When Pierre Franey had his 60 Minute Gourmet recipes in Wednesday’s Times, long before digital, I cut them out and saved them. They all were perfect. So I made as written, cutting it to two portions but all the sauce. I did you use a jar of marinara sauce I had in place of the canned tomatoes. With spaghetti, a delicious meal.

JudieFoodie

A wonderful way to use pork loin. I made 8 cutlets per directions but found 1 per person instead of 2 ample. I served it them over spaghetti with the sauce. I had to use all dried herbs and garlic powder. A true find! Delicious!

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