SESAME-CRUSTED PORK CUTLETS WITH CABBAGE

Sesame-Crusted Pork Cutlets With Cabbage image

Do you ever wish that the crackly outside of your fried cutlet tasted like - anything? Instead of throwing a bunch of garlic or even Cheetos into the coating, swap bread crumbs for a something that's probably already in your pantry. By crusting your pounded-thin pork with crushed sesame seeds and shallow-frying for just a few minutes, each bite of juicy pork has a snap and crackle racing through, in addition to deep sesame flavor. To cut through the richness, take a cue from pork tonkatsu and serve these with extra-crisp wisps of cabbage and lemon. With such a minimalist ingredient list and process, you might think you need to add a thing or two, but everything you need is right here.

Provided by Ali Slagle

Categories dinner, lunch, quick, weekday, steaks and chops, main course

Time 20m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 6

Ingredients

6 cups finely shredded green cabbage
1 1/4 cups white sesame seeds
6 (5-ounce) slices boneless pork loin or boneless pork chops
Kosher salt
1½ to 2½ cups canola, vegetable or peanut oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

Steps:

Submerge the cabbage in a large bowl of ice water to crisp while you make the pork.
Place the sesame seeds in a large resealable plastic bag and pound using a rolling pin or skillet until coarsely crushed (alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle). Transfer to a lipped plate or shallow bowl.
Working with one piece at a time, put the pork in another resealable plastic bag and pound using a rolling pin or skillet until it is 1/4-inch thick (don't skimp on this step; it's important that the pieces are thin). Transfer to a plate, salt lightly on both sides, then repeat until all pieces have been cooked.
Dredge the pork cutlets fully in the crushed sesame seeds.
In a large skillet over medium-high, heat 1/3 inch of oil until shimmering. Gently lay the cutlets in the pan, working in batches as necessary. Fry until golden brown on one side, 1 to 2 minutes, then flip and continue to cook until golden brown and cooked through, another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat until all pieces have been cooked.
Drain and dry the cabbage thoroughly (a salad spinner works well here). Serve each cutlet with a pile of cabbage, a squeeze of lemon over everything and more lemon wedges on the side. Season with salt to taste and serve at once.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 1061, UnsaturatedFat 72 grams, Carbohydrate 11 grams, Fat 99 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 36 grams, SaturatedFat 17 grams, Sodium 730 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams, TransFat 0 grams