I love piccata--veal, chicken, fish, or, in this case, pork--but I don't like the idea of the calories and fat involved in sauteing the meat in butter and oil. So, I cut back on the amount of oil and butter I use and increase the flavor with plenty of lemon zest and juice. Pounding the pork cutlets with flour helps tenderize them, but you can skip the pounding if you're in a hurry. The cutlets won't be quite as tender, but they'll be good. Because I don't use much oil, I use a non-stick skillet and watch the cutlets carefully. They need to be removed from the skillet when they're barely cooked through. The cutlets also should be cooked in batches. Overcrowding the pan results in steamed rather than nicely browned pork. I know. I've done it in an effort to save time. Trust me, overcrowding the pan is bad. Besides, the cutlets, if pounded thin, take only a few minutes to cook. Once the cutlets brown, you can prepare the sauce in 5-10 minutes and then return the cutlets to the pan to re-warm and absorb some of the piquant lemon sauce. Briny capers add interest to the dish, but, if you don't have any, it's okay. The pork cutlets will taste great even without them. Serve the pork piccata over pasta or rice to catch the savory sauce.
Pork Piccata -- Serves 4
1 - 1 1/4 pounds of thin-cut pork cutlets
1/2 cup of flour
Canola oil
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons of reduced sodium chicken "Better Than Bullion"
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of minced dried onions
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 tablespoon of dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
Grated zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 2 lemons (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup of white wine
2-3 tablespoons of capers
2 tablespoons of butter
Fresh parsley (optional)
Flour the pork cutlets well on both sides and pound them thin with the flat side of a meat mallet (put them in a plastic bag to do so, for less mess). The cutlets should be between 1/8 - 1/4-inch thick. In a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat about two teaspoons of oil until hot, swirling the oil to coat the pan. Add 3-4 cutlets to the pan and saute them on both sides for a total of 3-5 minutes. Remove the cutlets to a plate and saute the remainder of cutlets in batches, removing each batch, after it cooks, from the skillet to the plate. Add an additional 2-3 teaspoons of oil to the skillet before cooking each new batch of cutlets. After cooking the last batch of cutlets, add to the empty (except for brown bits) skillet the water, chicken "Better Than Bullion," salt, garlic powder, thyme, parsley flakes, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, and wine. Stir the mixture and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for 5-6 minutes until reduced by 1/3-1/2. Turn off the heat and add the capers. Stir in the butter until it melts and the sauce thickens a little. Return the cutlets to the pan and spoon the sauce over them. Let the cutlets sit in the pan/sauce a few minutes or until they're hot. Serve the cutlets sprinkled with a little fresh chopped parsley, if you'd like.
