Name: Crispy Bacon-Sage Pork Cutlets
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 3 slices bacon , finely chopped; 3 slices hearty white sandwich bread , torn into pieces; 1/2 teaspoon dried sage; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 2 large eggs; 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), trimmed, cut into 4 pieces, and pounded 1/2-inch thick; Salt; 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage; 1 cup vegetable oil

Why This Recipe Works

The appeal of tender, crispy, golden brown breaded pork cutlets is easy to see, but there are only so many times you can eat them plain or in a sandwich. We wanted a pork cutlets recipe that dressed them up with interesting flavors. Instead of using thin-cut pork chops in our Crispy Bacon-Sage Pork Cutlets recipe, our tasters preferred the tender cutlets made from pounding slices of pork tenderloin to an even thickness. Store-bought bread crumbs made our pork cutlets taste sandy and dry. Making homemade bread crumbs from white sandwich bread and then toasting them in the oven gave the breading a fresh taste and crunch. For a final layer of seasoning, we added rendered bacon fat and sage to the oil before frying the cutlets.

Instructions

Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and pour bacon fat into separate bowl. (Wipe out skillet and use in step 3.)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground. Bake bread crumbs on rimmed baking sheet until dry, about 20 minutes. Transfer crumbs to shallow dish and stir in bacon and dried sage. Spread flour in second shallow dish. Beat eggs in third shallow dish.

Pat pork dry with paper towels and season with salt. One cutlet at a time, coat lightly with flour, dip in egg, and dredge in bread crumb mixture, pressing to adhere.

Heat 1/2 cup oil and add half of reserved bacon fat and 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Fry 2 cutlets until deep golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towel-lined plate and transfer to oven to keep warm. Discard oil, wipe out skillet, and repeat with remaining oil, bacon fat, sage, and cutlets. Serve.