Breaded Meats

Sometime ago America's Test Kitchen came up with a recipe for a tasty, easy to make chicken breast. Although they use dried Panko bread crumbs, I think a viable alternative is to use fresh crumbs. Jacques Pépin has said repeatedly that by using fresh bread crumbs a much smaller amount of fat is absorbed. Try it both ways and you decide.

First, let me share with you a very easy to do recipe I saw Jacques make. Start with a pork tenderloin cut into 1¼" rounds. Place a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper over them and flatten with a mallet or the bottom of a heavy sauce pan. Should be 1/8" thick. Mix one egg in a flat pasta type bowl with 1 tablespoon water. Mix thoroughly.
Take three pieces of bread. Cut into cubes and place into a processor. Pulse until you have bread crumbs. Place crumbs into a flat pasta type bowl. Mix in salt and pepper to taste.

In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon oil until foam subsides. Meanwhile, dip each cutlet first into the egg and then into the breadcrumbs. Place into hot sauté pan and sauté about 2 minutes on first side. Turn over and sauté for another 1½ minutes.

Serve with your favorite vegetables and salad.

This same process can be used on veal and chicken. When doing chicken breasts, remove the fillet and save for another time.

I mentioned a recipe from America's Test Kitchen which is similar. You can view here it, try it and then do some experimenting. I have made it a couple of times as is. The next time I will use fresh bread crumbs. Be careful not to over sauté the chicken cutlets because of the almond addition. Tends to burn. So use lower heat or shorter time.
Let me know which one is your favorite.