GOCHUJANG PORK CUTLET SANDWICHES WITH PURPLE SLAW

Gochujang Pork Cutlet Sandwiches with Purple Slaw image

I first came across gochujang at an amazing dumpling and bibimbap restaurant in Korea Town in New York City. I loved its smoky-spicy subtle sweetness and wanted to get my hands on it to slather it on anything. I knew pork cutlet and a crunchy, refreshing slaw would pair perfectly with this chile paste! I put a little gochujang in the cutlet coating and more in the sauce, which is really the star of the show here. I've even made sure you have some leftover so you can use it for days to come as a marinade or dressing. Feel free to swap out the pork for chicken. No matter how you enjoy it, I promise your family is going to love this recipe!

Provided by Elena Besser

Categories main-dish

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

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Ingredients

3 cups shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lime, juiced and zested
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon honey
Four 1/2-inch-thick boneless pork chops
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon gochujang
2 cups panko, finely ground in a food processor or blender
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, grated
1/3 cup mayonnaise
8 slices potato bread or 4 potato buns, toasted

Steps:

Combine the cabbage with the onion in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Add the lime juice and zest, olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, the 1 teaspoon rice vinegar and 1 teaspoon honey and toss to evenly coat. Set aside to let all the flavors infuse.
Prepare 3 shallow bowls or pie plates. In the first bowl, whisk together the flour with 1 tablespoon salt. In the second, whisk together the egg with 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon of the gochujang. In the third bowl, stir together the panko and 1/4 cup of the sesame seeds.
Place 1 pork chop in between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and pound with a meat mallet or heavy-bottomed skillet until the pork is 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining pork chops.
Working in an assembly line, dip the pork into the flour mixture, shaking off the excess, then into the egg mixture, and finally, coat in the breadcrumbs, pressing to make sure the pork is thoroughly coated.
Add 1/2 inch neutral oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Fry the pork until crispy and browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side, moving the pork around to ensure it cooks evenly. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet or paper-towel lined plate and immediately season with salt.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and remaining 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Whisk together the 2 tablespoons honey with the remaining 1 tablespoon rice vinegar in a small heatproof bowl. Add the 1/4 cup gochujang and whisk until combined. Whisk in the butter mixture until smooth. Measure out 2 tablespoons of this sauce into another small bowl; reserve the rest for another use. Add the mayonnaise to the small bowl and stir together until smooth.
Spread the gochujang mayo on both sides of the bread. Fill each sandwich with 1 pork cutlet and some of the purple slaw and serve immediately. Enjoy!