Breaded Cutlets

A cutlet is a small, boneless cut of meat which can be used in a variety of dishes. Most butchers stock cutlets in a range of meats including chicken, pork, lamb, and veal. Since they are very small, they cook quickly and tend to be tender as well. Generally, the shorter the cooking process, the better the cutlet will be.

One of the classic preparations for cutlets involves dredging them in flour, following with beaten eggs and bread crumbs. The breaded cutlets are fried and served hot, often with lemon or other sauces.

The use of the cutlet is quite widespread in many different cuisines and in many different variations. One of the most famous is the Italian Milanese cutlet (cotoletta alla milanese), a veal cutlet covered in bread crumbs and fried in butter. In German cuisine, these breaded veal cutlets are called Weiner Schnitzel. The lamb cutlet is a staple of Australian children's cuisine. And cutlets were introduced to Japan during the Meiji period in a Western cuisine restaurant in the fashionable Ginza district of Tokyo. The Japanese word for cutlet is katsuretsu. In American cuisine a cutlet is most famously made using chicken (see Breaded Chicken Cutlet).

Besides eating breaded cutlets as a meat dish with vegetables and other sides, cutlets make excellent sandwiches. See the variations on the Chicken Cutlet Sandwich page, also Iowa's Pork Tenderloin Sandwich.

Recipe:

Slices of tenderloin (venison, pork, beef) or pork loin, sliced thin and pounded out
Beaten egg mixed with a little milk
Fine bread crumbs
Butter for frying

Pound the meat out so it is about 1/4" thick. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Dip in the egg beaten with milk and dip in the bread crumbs to cover. Fry in butter that has been melted in a hot skillet until lightly browned.

Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200° F. oven. Layer them singly so they stay crisp.