Pork Milanese plus! This breaded and fried pork cutlet is topped with melted mozzarella, lightly dressed arugula and bruschetta, then finished with some Parmesan and balsamic glaze.
Why I love this pork Milanese!
I love breaded pork in any form. I have a fabulous pork schnitzel recipe and tonkatsu is also great, so Pork Milanese is another great way to enjoy breaded pork. Pork Milanese is a little thinner than tonkatsu and a little thicker than schnitzel.
Pork MIlanese can be enjoyed in any number of ways. Here I have topped it with lightly dressed arugula and bruschetta. It’s wonderfully fresh and goes beautifully with the breaded pork. I’ve added some variations for Pork Milanese below, too.
Ingredients and substitutions
Pork – you’ll want to start with boneless pork chops, typically centre-cut. You can use the full-size pork cutlets or the “fast fry” thinner pork chops. The thinner ones are a lot less pounding but will make for a smaller piece of pork, so you may want to use more of the smaller ones.
Breadcrumbs – use either plain or seasoned dry bread crumbs or plain or seasoned Panko. I tend to prefer breadcrumbs myself.
Arugula – Baby arugula is lovely on top of the breaded pork. An alternative might be a spring mix of lettuce.
Tomatoes – I’ve used cherry tomatoes here, but you can use regular tomatoes (Roma tomatoes work well). For larger tomatoes, be sure to remove and discard the seeds and extra liquid. Even with the cherry tomatoes, I try to remove as much of the seeds as possible when I halve them.
Basil – it’s hard to beat fresh basil for the bruschetta, so I highly recommend it, if possible. If not, simply use some dried basil leaves to bring the flavour in.
Balsamic Glaze – I love balsamic glaze! Look for it in the small bottles with the balsamic vinegars. A drizzle of a nice balsamic vinegar will also work here.
Step-by-step photos
Step 1: Start with the pork. First, trim off any visible fat. Then, using a meat pounder, pound the pork very thin (about 1/4 inch thick). Use a sharp knife to cut small slits on the side. This prevents curling and helps the pork to stay flat when fried, so it fries evenly. (If you don’t have a meat pounder, a rolling pin or cast iron skillet works, too.)
Step 2: Set up a breading station with seasoned flour, beaten egg and bread crumbs. Dredge with the flour first (on both sides), then dip in the egg (on both sides) and finally, pressing on bread crumbs (on both sides). Place onto a wire rack and place into the refrigerator on the rack, uncovered, for 1 hour.
Step 3: While the pork is chilling, mix up the bruschetta mixture and give it a chance to marinate a bit. Cover and let stand at room temperature.
Step 4: When the pork is just about done, mix up the dressing for the arugula and toss with the arugula. Shred the mozzarella and have it ready, as well.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 400F. Shallow fry the breaded pork in hot oil in a skillet, over medium-high heat. Be sure not to crowd the pan (I do one at a time). Place the fried cutlets onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese across the centre of the cutlets, then pop in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and top with dressed arugula and bruschetta.
Top tip!
Don’t skip the trip to the fridge! Chilling the breaded pork in the refrigerator is the key to keeping the breading on the pork when it fries.
Variations
- Substitute the arugula and bruschetta with some warm marinara sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan, for a Parmesan version of pork Milanese.
- Skip the bruschetta and top simply with the dressed arugula and Parmesan shavings.
- Serve the breaded pork Milanese simply with lemon wedges for drizzling.
What to serve with this pork Milanese
This particular pork Milanese has the salad on top of the pork, so we’ve got the protein and vegetables going here already. For me often, this is enough, but when I’m feeling some carbs too, I like a bit of pasta. A creamy Parmesan orzo would be nice. I think roasted, cubed potatoes would also work well.
Making ahead and storing
Ideally, you’ll want to serve the pork Milanese freshly cooked. It can be made ahead and refrigerated. Re-heat on a baking sheet, loosely covered with foil, in a 350F oven until warmed, about 10-15 minutes.
The pork cutlets (cooked or uncooked) will freeze for up to 3 months.
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Ingredients
For the pork Milanese:
- 3 boneless, centre-cut pork chops, *see Note 1 below
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1-2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs or Panko, seasoned or unseasoned
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- vegetable or canola oil, for frying
For the bruschetta topping:
- 2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup basil, chopped (or 2-3 tsp dried basil leaves)
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the arugula topping:
- 2 handfuls baby arugula
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
To serve:
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Freshly grated Parmesan
- Balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Prepare the pork: trim and discard any fat from the pork cutlet. Using a meat pounder (or rolling pin/heavy skillet), pound the pork to an even thickness between 1/4-1/2". Using a sharp knife, cut a short slit of about 1/2" into each side of the cutlet (refer to the step-by-step photos above if this isn't clear).
- Bread the pork: set up a breading station with 3 plates. Place the flour on one plate (season with a bit of salt and pepper). Place the beaten eggs on another plate and finally, place the bread crumbs (or panko) on a 3rd plate (season with a bit of salt and pepper if unseasoned). Dredge the pork in the flour first, coating on both sides. Then coat it with the egg (both sides, letting excess drip off). Finally, coat the pork with the bread crumbs, pressing the crumbs onto the pork until it is completely and evenly covered. Place onto a wire rack. Repeat with all the pork pieces. Place the pork on the wire rack (uncovered) into the refrigerator for 1 hour. *Note: Don't skip this step as it is important to ensure that the breading will stay on the pork when fried.
- Prepare the bruschetta: add the tomatoes, garlic and basil to a medium bowl. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and some salt the pepper, then toss to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature.
- Prepare the arugula: add the arugula to a medium bowl. In a small bowl or jar, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar and some salt the pepper. Whisk or shake to combine well. Drizzle enough of the dressing over the arugula to moisten. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside.
- Shred the mozzarella: shred the mozzarella and place into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400F and have a baking sheet ready.
- Fry the pork: heat enough oil in a skillet to completely cover the bottom of the skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Tip! Don't overcrowd the pan or you will have trouble browning the pork due to all the moisture. I like to do one at a time. Add the pork cutlets to the hot oil and cook until golden underneath, then flip and cook the other side. Place the cutlets onto the baking sheet.
- Bake: sprinkle some mozzarella cheese across the centre of each of the pork cutlets. Place into the preheated oven and bake until the cheese is nicely melted, about 8-10 minutes.
- To serve: remove from oven and serve topped with dressed arugula and bruschetta. Finish with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Notes
Variations
- Substitute the arugula and bruschetta with some warm marinara sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan, for a Parmesan version of pork Milanese.
- Skip the bruschetta and top simply with the dressed arugula and Parmesan shavings.
- Serve the breaded pork Milanese simply with lemon wedges for drizzling.
More Pork Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
