Mini Milanese Style Pork Tenderloin – pork tenderloin is cut into pieces, pounded thin, then pan fried with an easy breading. The pork is then topped with an easy raw tomato salsa.
I have been trying to work through the magazines and cookbooks that I have, and even though it’s only the middle of January, I’m pretty proud of myself for what I’ve gone through.
This resolution to cook from each of my cookbooks that I haven’t blogged about is moving right along. I’ve even started a blog to link to each of the cookbooks and the recipes that I will link on this blog as soon as I have it completed. It’s been a lot of work, but I am a perfectionist and an organizationist (if that’s a word!) so it’s taking a bit of time.
I have also started a new way of menu planning. I used to try to plan for the week, and then just shop once, but since things get busy and I never end up cooking every night, or if one of the things didn’t sound good, I started having lots of groceries that went bad or unused. My pantry and freezer are full of items that I bought for a particular recipe that was never made, and now I don’t remember what recipe I had planned to make!
So I found something that works for me. I plan out 3 meals in advance. Then I shop for those 3 meals. I have been doing it for about 3 or 4 weeks, and so far it has worked perfectly. That way, if I miss a day of cooking, I still have a couple of days to make those recipes before the ingredients go bad.
This recipe comes from one of the stacks of magazines. I have a habit of picking up a cookbook or magazine, opening it to a random page, and cooking something from that page. This is one of those recipes.
This was really easy to throw together. It’s pork tenderloin, cut into slices and then pounded thin. I don’t have a meat mallet, so I just cover the pieces with waxed paper or parchment paper and pound it with a hammer. Hey – it works!! The pork is then breaded and fried in a little olive oil and served with a raw tomato sauce.
Instead of using regular bread crumbs, I put a few slices of whole wheat bread in the food processor and made my own bread crumbs. I used 3 slices, but it made too much. 2 slices would have probably been perfect.
I liked this meal, especially for a quick weeknight meal, although I think the raw tomato sauce did suffer a little bit, seeing that it is the middle of the winter and tomatoes are not at their peak. I would like to try this again in the summer with fresh garden tomatoes, and I think it will make a huge difference!
Mini Milanese-Style Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino
- All purpose flour for dredging, about 1/2 cup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 pork tenderloin – about 1 lb. cut into 12 and pounded to about 1/2 inch thick
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 plum tomatoes seeded and chopped
- 1/4 small red onion chopped
- 10 basil leaves shredded
- a generous handful of flat leaf parsley chopped
- 1/2 lemon cut into wedges
Instructions
- Combine the bread crumbs with the nutmeg and cheese in a shallow dish. Place the flour in another shallow dish. Beat the eggs in a third dish. Season the pork slices with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour; shake off excess. Coat with the egg, then with the seasoned bread crumbs.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, and cook the meat until golden on both sides, reducing the heat slightly for the last couple of minutes, 6 to 7 minutes total. (Cook the cutlets in 2 batches, if necessary, to avoid crowding the pan.) Drain on paper towels and season to taste with a bit more salt.
- In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, basil and parsley. Dress with the remaining 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and season to taste with salt.
- Top each mini pork cutlet with some of the raw tomato sauce and serve with the lemon wedges.
Peabody says
I love coming here…you always have the best dinner ideas.
The Caked Crusader says
Yum. I’m sitting at my desk. It’s 3.30pm and I’m just starting to get those ‘isn’t it dinner yet’ pangs – consequently, your photo is bordering on cruel! Torture! It must be covered by the Geneva convention surely?
KJ says
Yum, yum, yum. This is my type of meal. I have the same problem. I never feel like eating what I planned to eat a week ago.
Shandy says
Deborah, Your amazing and so is this Pork Tenderloin Recipe! Thank you for sharing it. I think Pork gets missed out on. You cracked me up over the hammer method for pounding your meat. . .I think it was the image thing. Very Cute! =D
Shandy
Emiline says
This sounds like such a fun recipe; I love what you bring to the table. 😉
And…it’s from Rachael Ray!
Hammering meat sounds like fun.
Bellini Valli says
This recipe just sounds so good Deborah!! I like the sounds of the raw tomato sauce. I do have a meat mallet now, but I used to use a wine bottle to take out my aggressions on meat.
Anonymous says
This is an amazing Pork Tenderloin recipe. I just got my pork order from and i have to say…perfect match! Thanks for the tips and recipe!
Kevin says
That pork looks good! I meal plan for the entire week and go shopping once. I like to leave the last two meals unplanned that way if I don’t end up cooking one night or if I had more leftovers than expected I catch up by then end of the week.
Janet says
Hello fellow daring baker! I saw your comment on my page and thought I would check out yours. I’m a new DBer and not that in to tons of screen time, so I haven’t really made many introductions or comments anywhere. But, I couldn’t help myself- I love the idea of making a weekly list, shopping once and being really organized, but the home kitchen doesn’t work like a commercial one, there’s always some change to the plan. I think that letting yourself off the hook and keeping some staples in the pantry for those nights that you didn’t plan for is the way to go, too!
Janet of Bake Through @
http://cakebible.blogspot.com/
glamah16 says
That looks tasty right about now.Your photo is excellent too. I need to start going through my magazines as well as cookbooks.
Mary says
wow that looks really tasty! And what a great idea for menu planning. I must admit, I let my OCD run wild and plan my week, 3 meals a day, 3 snacks a day, and then post it on the fridge. I’m kind of a dork.
DawnsRecipes says
OMG! Did I mention I love you for posting this? Wow…I can’t stop the drool! If it wasn’t snowing so much right now I’d hop into my car and buy the ingredients!