PORK MILANESE

Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves 4

Cotoletta alla Milanese, veal cutlets coated in breadcrumbs, can be seen on lots of Italian menus, served with spaghetti in tomato sauce (my favourite), but I find that pork is much better value and has a better flavour. You can use either, but just make sure the cutlets still have the bone in. You can get your butcher to flatten the chops out for you, but if you want to let some aggression out, you can do it yourself with a steak hammer. By the time the meat is bashed out it should cover most of a large dinner plate.

INGREDIENTS

For the spaghetti

– 250g passata

– 2-3 garlic cloves, finely grated

– ½ tbsp chopped thyme or oregano leaves

– 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

– 120g spaghetti

For the cutlets

– 4 lean pork cutlets or chops with the bone in, each about 200g

– flour, for dusting

– 2 eggs, beaten

– 60g fresh white breadcrumbs

– 50g Parmesan, freshly grated

– vegetable or corn oil, for frying

– 60g butter, or more as needed

– 4 lemon halves, to serve

METHOD

Mix the passata, garlic, thyme or oregano and olive oil in a pan and season. Simmer very gently for about 15 minutes, adjusting the consistency with a little water if it’s getting too thick.

Meanwhile, bash the cutlets out between pieces of cling film or in a plastic bag to about the size of a large plate about ¾cm-1cm thick. Have three dishes ready, one containing the flour, one the beaten eggs and the third holding the breadcrumbs mixed with the Parmesan. Season the cutlets all over with salt and pepper, then coat them in the flour, patting off any excess, then the egg and finally the breadcrumb mixture.

Put the spaghetti on tocookinapanof boiling salted water. You will need a couple of large frying pans on the go to cook the pork; alternatively, cook them one at a time and keep warm in a medium oven.

Heat two tablespoons of oil in each pan and cook the cutlets on one side for 2-3 minutes until golden and crisp. Add the butter (about 30g per pan) and, once it has melted, turn the cutlet over and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Drain the cooked spaghetti into the sauce and toss. Re-season if necessary. Serve with the cutlets and the lemon halves for squeezing.