START TO FINISH: 30 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
Tender, juicy meat with a crisp crust is the hallmark of schnitzel, popular in Germany and Austria. For our schnitzel, we use pork tenderloin, an ultra-tender cut. But instead of cutting the tenderloin crosswise into medallions, we halve it lengthwise, then cut each half crosswise. This creates pieces that are easy to pound into evenly thick cutlets. When pounding, go slow and steady, working from the center outward and using a slight lateral movement rather than a straight up-and-down motion; be careful not to create any holes in the cutlets. The schnitzel are delicious with just a squeeze of lemon, or try them sandwiched, with baby arugula, in warm, crusty rolls slathered with a garlicky mayonnaise.
Don’t use a tenderloin larger than 1¼ pounds or the cutlets may be too large to fit two at a time in the skillet. When frying, don’t crowd the cutlets in the pan; to brown and crisp properly, they must be in a single layer and not touch or overlap. Don’t omit the cornstarch or baking powder; they help create a light, crisp breading.
1¼-pound pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin and patted dry
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1¾ cups panko breadcrumbs
10 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided
2 lemons, quartered
Cut the tenderloin in half crosswise, making the tail-end half slightly larger, then cut each piece in half lengthwise. Place 2 pieces of pork between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, gently pound each piece to an even ¼-inch thickness. Repeat with the 2 remaining pieces. Season both sides of each cutlet with salt and pepper.
Set a wire rack in each of 2 rimmed baking sheets and line a large plate with a triple layer of paper towels. In a pie plate or wide, shallow bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch and baking powder. In a second similar dish, beat the eggs with a fork until well combined. In a third, stir together the panko, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Dredge each cutlet first through the flour, turning to coat and shaking off any excess, then through the egg and finally through the panko. Arrange the cutlets on one of the racks.
In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat 6 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add 2 cutlets and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, flip the cutlets and cook until the second sides are golden brown, about another 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat. Transfer the cutlets to the paper towels, flipping to blot excess oil. Transfer to the second prepared wire rack. Repeat with the remaining 4 tablespoons oil and remaining cutlets. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.