Sautéed Pork Cutlets with Lemon-Caper Sauce
By America's Test KitchenPublished on September 4, 2013
Time
1 hour, plus 30 minutes brining
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Pork
2 tablespoons kosher salt (or 1 tablespoon table salt)1 ½ teaspoons sugar 1 ½ pounds boneless country-style pork spare ribs, trimmed of excess fat (see note)ground black pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 2 piecesLemon-Caper Sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)1 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon dry mustard ½ cup low-sodium beef or chicken broth ¼ cup white wine 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 2 tablespoons rinsed capers 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley leaves Table salt and ground black pepperBefore You Begin
We prefer natural to enhanced pork (which has been injected with a salt solution to increase moisture and flavor). If using enhanced pork, omit the brining step. Look for ribs that are about 3 to 5 inches long. Cut ribs over 5 inches in half crosswise before slicing them lengthwise to make pounding more manageable.
Instructions
- Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 cups water in medium container or bowl. Set aside. Cut each rib lengthwise to create 2 or 3 cutlets about 3/8 inch wide. Place cutlets between 2 layers of plastic wrap and gently pound to ¼-inch thickness. Submerge cutlets in brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
- While pork brines, melt ½ tablespoon butter in small saucepan over medium heat; add shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 1½ minutes. Add flour and dry mustard; cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Slowly add broth, whisking constantly to avoid forming lumps. Add white wine and lemon juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, cover, and set aside. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees.
- Remove pork from brine, dry thoroughly with paper towels, and season with pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add 1 piece butter, allow to melt, and quickly add half of pork cutlets. Cook cutlets until browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, flip cutlets and continue to cook until browned on second side, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer cutlets to large plate and transfer plate to warm oven. Repeat with remaining cutlets and remaining butter.
- After second batch of cutlets is cooked, reduce skillet heat to medium, add reserved sauce, and bring to simmer. Cook, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits, until slightly thickened and reduced to about ½ cup, about 2 minutes. Stir in any accumulated pork juices; return to simmer and cook 30 seconds. Off heat, whisk in parsley, lemon zest, and capers and remaining ½ tablespoon butter; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over pork and serve immediately.
for the pork
for the sauce
to cook pork
Time
1 hour, plus 30 minutes briningYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Pork
2 tablespoons kosher salt (or 1 tablespoon table salt)
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 ½ pounds boneless country-style pork spare ribs, trimmed of excess fat (see note)
ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
Lemon-Caper Sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup low-sodium beef or chicken broth
¼ cup white wine
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons rinsed capers
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley leaves
Table salt and ground black pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pork
2 tablespoons kosher salt (or 1 tablespoon table salt)
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 ½ pounds boneless country-style pork spare ribs, trimmed of excess fat (see note)
ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
Lemon-Caper Sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup low-sodium beef or chicken broth
¼ cup white wine
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons rinsed capers
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley leaves
Table salt and ground black pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pork
2 tablespoons kosher salt (or 1 tablespoon table salt)
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 ½ pounds boneless country-style pork spare ribs, trimmed of excess fat (see note)
ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
Lemon-Caper Sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup low-sodium beef or chicken broth
¼ cup white wine
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons rinsed capers
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley leaves
Table salt and ground black pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Instead of using supermarket pork cutlets for our sautéed pork cutlets recipe, we opted for boneless country-style spare ribs. We added sugar to our brine to help the pork cutlets retain moisture and encourage browning, then sautéed the pork cutlets in a combination of olive oil and butter, which promote browning even further. For the pork cutlets’ pan sauce, we reduced a flour-thickened mixture of cider, broth, and seasonings and swirled in lemon zest and butter for a rich, glossy sauce that perfectly coated our tender, browned sautéed pork cutlets.
Before You Begin
We prefer natural to enhanced pork (which has been injected with a salt solution to increase moisture and flavor). If using enhanced pork, omit the brining step. Look for ribs that are about 3 to 5 inches long. Cut ribs over 5 inches in half crosswise before slicing them lengthwise to make pounding more manageable.
Instructions
- Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 cups water in medium container or bowl. Set aside. Cut each rib lengthwise to create 2 or 3 cutlets about 3/8 inch wide. Place cutlets between 2 layers of plastic wrap and gently pound to ¼-inch thickness. Submerge cutlets in brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
- While pork brines, melt ½ tablespoon butter in small saucepan over medium heat; add shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 1½ minutes. Add flour and dry mustard; cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Slowly add broth, whisking constantly to avoid forming lumps. Add white wine and lemon juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, cover, and set aside. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees.
- Remove pork from brine, dry thoroughly with paper towels, and season with pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add 1 piece butter, allow to melt, and quickly add half of pork cutlets. Cook cutlets until browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, flip cutlets and continue to cook until browned on second side, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer cutlets to large plate and transfer plate to warm oven. Repeat with remaining cutlets and remaining butter.
- After second batch of cutlets is cooked, reduce skillet heat to medium, add reserved sauce, and bring to simmer. Cook, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits, until slightly thickened and reduced to about ½ cup, about 2 minutes. Stir in any accumulated pork juices; return to simmer and cook 30 seconds. Off heat, whisk in parsley, lemon zest, and capers and remaining ½ tablespoon butter; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over pork and serve immediately.
for the pork
for the sauce
to cook pork
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