Norman's baked pork cutlets

Norman’s Baked Pork Cutlets

I am still surprised at how many people think they don’t like pork chops or cutlets. What I suspect that they are thinking of overcooked, dried out pork chops that need a lot of steak sauce to make them palatable. 

Well, let me give you a tip. Anytime you take pork, or just about anything else, and bread it, sear it, douse it in spaghetti sauce, bury it under lots of cheese and then bake it till everything is bubbling and the cheese is golden brown, well ... um ... it will be good. Take my word for it.

8 thin boneless pork cutlets

Cajun seasoning

Flour

4 eggs

2 tbs. cream

Bread crumbs

Olive oil

1 lb. shredded mozzarella 

1/2 lb. of grated parmesan

Basil

Oregano
2 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced

1 batch of Marinara Sauce

Preparation

Season the pork on both sides with cajun seasoning. Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them together with the cream. Fill a bowl with flour and another one with the bread crumbs. Mix a little cajun seasoning into all three bowls.

Heat a large cast iron skillet and add enough olive oil to make about an eighth inch depth. Dredge the pork in the flour to coat both sides and then dip each in the eggs. Finally, coat them in the bread crumbs.

Add the pork to the cast iron and cook them until they are golden brown on both sides. It should take about three minutes per side, but don’t get out a stop watch. When they look right, go with it. Don’t crowd the pork. Do it in two batches if necessary. When they are done, place them in an oven proof casserole or braising pan.

Sprinkle the pork with the garlic, some parmesan, basil, oregano and then douse them good with the marinara sauce, enough to cover them. Don’t tell anyone, but I would also give it several dashes of Tabasco too. Now top everything with more parmesan and then add enough mozzarella to cover it all.

Place the pork in a 375º oven for about twenty minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is golden brown. Allow it to cool so the cheese can setup, for about five minutes or so.

Serving

Serve a couple pork cutlets next to a big pile of spaghetti. Smother the spaghetti in unused marinara sauce. Next add a big pile of sautéed baby broccoli. Now sprinkle everything with grated parmesan cheese. Once you add in a salad and homemade bread and then open a bottle of Nero dʼ Avola (or any other good Italian red), you can call it dinner.