Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring

Salt Table Halle & Savannah Blend

The classic schnitzel is made with veal, but cutlets made from pork tenderloin (or even chicken boned breasts) take handsomely to the technique at a fraction of the cost of veal, and for my money, the pork has far more flavor.

Salt Table’s Halle & Savannah Blend is ideal for schnitzel, but classic All ‘Round Good Grinder Blend and Southern Italian Blend are also great for them.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pork tenderloin, about 1-to-1¼ pounds, or 4 large veal scaloppine or chicken breast cutlets (see notes)
  • Salt Table Halle & Savannah Blend, 
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • About 1 cup Panko or dry bread crumbs
  • About ½ cup flour, spread on a plate
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten in a soup plate
  • About 1 cup clarified butter or 4 tablespoons unsalted butter and ¾ cup olive or vegetable oil
  • 2 lemons, cut into wedges

HOW TO MAKE IT:

  1. Trim the tenderloin, removing the silver-skin and fat. Cut the thickest part of the center crosswise into 4 equal rounds 1¼-inches thick. Set aside the ends for another use. Put the 4 center cuts round side up on a sheet of plastic wrap spread over a sturdy work surface. Lay a second sheet of wrap over them and lightly pound them out to a little less than ¼-inch thick. Generously grind the seasoning blend over both sides. If using veal or chicken cutlets instead, lightly pound them out to a uniform thinness just under ¼-inch and season as for the tenderloin.
  2. Season the crumbs with several grindings of Seasoning Blend and spread them on a plate or wide, shallow bowl. Have the flour spread on a plate and the egg in a wide, shallow bowl.
  3. Dust the cutlets with flour, coating both sides, and gently shake off the excess. One at a time, dip them in the egg, coating both sides and allowing the excess egg to flow back into the bowl, then lay it on the crumbs, turning and patting to coat both sides. Put the breaded cutlets on a clean, dry plate or wire cooling rack and them let stand 30 minutes to allow the breading to set. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat it to 200° F. or the warm setting.
  4. Over medium heat, melt enough clarified butter (or the unsalted butter and enough oil) to cover the bottom of heavy-bottomed skillet by at about ¼-inch. When it’s hot, raise the heat to medium-high and put in enough cutlets to fill the pan without crowding. Fry until the bottoms are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Turn and brown the second side, about 2 minutes longer. Remove them from the pan to a wire cooling rack and keep warm in the oven while the remaining cutlets fry. Serve hot with lemon.

Note: chicken cutlets are a boned and skinned breast half split horizontally into two equal pieces.

This recipes also works well with All ‘Round Good Grinder Blend, or Southern Italian Blend in a mill