Parmesan crust coats pork paillards

LITTLE ROCK — You’ve seen a recipe like this before: three-part coating process, thin piece of meat, quick cooking in a pan. The addition of sage and hint of cheese in the mix give it a seasonal edge.

Thin chicken or turkey cutlets can be substituted.

Serve with warm homemade applesauce, or a salad of greens with crisp apple cut into thin slices.

Pork Paillards in Parmesan Crust

1 ounce country-style bread 2 to 3 fresh sage leaves 1 to 2 tablespoons finely shredded parmesan cheese 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 egg 1 tablespoon cold water 3/4 pound thin pork cutlets (from boneless pork chops) OR thin chicken or turkey cutlets Salt and ground black pepper 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Trim the crust from the bread. Cut the bread into cubes, then transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Coarsely chop the sage, then add to the food processor along with the cheese. Pulse to form a bread crumb mixture with the sage evenly distributed. Transfer to a wide, shallow bowl.

Place the flour in a resealable plastic food storage bag. Whisk together the egg and water in a wide, shallow bowl. Lay a few layers of paper towels on a baking sheet, then place a wire cooling rack on top of the paper towels.

Trim all visible fat from the pork cutlets. Lay 3 or 4 of them between two large sheets of plastic wrap, sprinkling the meat lightly with salt and pepper as you work. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to beat the chops to form paillards with a thickness of no more than 1/4 inch.

Add 3 or 4 paillards to the flour to dust on both sides, then shake off any excess. After all paillards are coated, discard any remaining flour. Working in batches, dip each paillard into the egg to coat thoroughly, then into the bread crumb mixture, turning to coat on both sides and pressing gently so the crumbs adhere to the meat.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add just enough of the oil to coat the bottom of the skillet. Once the oil shimmers, add 3 or 4 pieces of the pork and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat to cook all the pork, adding oil as needed.

Divide the warm pork paillards among individual plates. Serve right away, with the lemon wedges.

Makes 2 servings.

Adapted from Pig: A Passion for Pork by Johnnie Mountain