Pork Parmigiana

Pork Parmigiana is so delicious!  The tenderized pork cutlets are moist inside the crunchy coating, covered in tasty, aromatic sauce and melted cheese.  You and your guests will barely be able to tell the difference from this recipe and the far-more-expensive veal variety. Pork Parmigiana does take some effort and time to make but it is so worth it.  Make it for a special weekend dinner accompanied by a simple vegetable, like Broccoli al Limone.

Prep Time: 20 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes, Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 6 ½ inch thick slices of Pork Loin Roast or Boneless Pork Loin Chops
• 3 Eggs
• 6 Tbs Flour
• 2/3 cup Bread Crumbs
• 1/3 cup Panko
• ½ cup Cooking Oil (Olive/Canola Oil blend recommended)
• 12 slices Provolone
• 1 ½ cups shredded Whole Milk Mozzarella
• Rosemary Marinara (see recipe)

Preparation:

1. Using a meat tenderizer, pound the pork loin slices or boneless chops to ¼-inch thickness cutlets.
2. Set out two dinner plates and one wide soup/pasta bowl. Break the eggs into the bowl and whisk them.  Add the flour to one dinner plate and the bread crumbs and panko to the other dinner plate, mixing the bread crumbs and panko together.
3. Pour the cooking oil into a wide, shallow frying pan over a high heat.
4. Coat each pork cutlet with flour on both sides, shaking off excess flour, then dip into the egg to coat allowing the extra egg to drip off, then coat with the bread crumb/panko mixture.
5. Place the triple-coated pork cutlet in the hot oil, one or two at a time depending on the size of the pan, and fry until golden brown on each side. Remove the cutlet(s) using tongs, drip off any excess oil into the frying pan, to a plate or platter.  Repeat with remaining cutlets, stacking them on the plate or platter.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
7. Spread a thin layer of the rosemary marinara in a roasting pan.
8. Layer the fried pork cutlets on top of the layer of marinara.
9. Place two slices of provolone on each pork cutlet.
10. Layer more marinara over each provolone-topped pork cutlet.
11. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the pork cutlets and place a dollop of marinara on top of each.
12. Place in the oven to bake at 350 F.
13. While the pork parmigiana is baking, heat any remaining sauce and transfer it to a bowl to serve at the table.
14. When the cheese has melted and is lightly browned, remove the roasting pan from the oven and serve the Pork Parmigiana either on a platter or on individual dinner plates.