- Course: Main Course
- Skill Level: Easy
- Cost: Moderate
- Favorited: 9 Times
Recipe
Milanese di Maiale
I was in Texas recently and laughed when I saw chicken-fried pork chop on the menu. It sounded so southern American but was, in fact, exactly the same as the classic Milanese pork chop, which is pounded super-thin, big as a dinner plate, then breaded, fried, and topped with arugula. In Milan, people call this cotoletta, a variation on the Italian word for rib, because in the old days, people used the bone like a handle to eat the pork chop. If you want to be more of a purist, you can leave off all the fancy additions like tomatoes, mushrooms, and truffles in the salad, but I think they add good texture and flavor.
Ingredients
- ½ pound cremini mushrooms
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh marjoram
- 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and sliced lengthwise
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Four 10-ounce bone-in pork chops, butterflied and pounded ¼ inch thick
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Eggwash: 3 eggs beaten with ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 cups Bread Crumbs
- Canola or peanut oil, for frying
- 1 bread slice
- 2 cups loosely packed arugula or lettuce mixture
- 1 fresh black truffle (optional)
Directions
1. Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel and cut off the tip of the stems. Slice the mushrooms very thin and put in a bowl. Add the herbs, tomatoes, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set the salad aside.
2. Sprinkle each pork chop on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off the excess. Dip each chop into the eggwash, letting any excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs.
3. Pour enough canola or peanut oil into a large skillet to measure ½ inch. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. (To test the temperature, drop a piece of bread into the oil. When it sizzles, remove it—the oil is hot enough to use.) Lay the pork chops in the pan one at a time and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 2½ minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
4. Add the arugula or mixed lettuce to the mushroom salad and toss. Arrange each pork chop on a dinner plate and top with a generous helping of the salad. If using, shave the truffle into thin slices. Scatter the truffle slices over each plate and serve.
Notes
WINE SUGGESTION: A sturdy red is what you need with this pork dish. I am partial to Siepi, a Sangiovese and Merlot blend that's produced in a vineyard more than 800 feet above sea level.
© 2005 Cesare Casella
Note from Cookstr's Editors
Nutritional information includes 1/8 teaspoon of added salt per serving, but does not include Bread Crumbs. For nutritional information on Bread Crumbs, please follow the link above.






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