TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Costolette di Maiale alla MilaneseMilanese Pork Chops
The pork version of the famous cotoletta alla milanese. The original uses veal, but the same technique shines with pork loin: pound the thick meat and shallow-fry its breadcrumbs in butter until golden. A thin, crisp coating is essential.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Thick pork loin chops (bone-in or boneless)If bone-in, trim excess fat around the bone; 1.5 cm thick4 chops (180–200 g each)
- EggsBeat well and add a pinch of salt2 pieces
- Breadcrumbs (preferably fresh)Fresh breadcrumbs give a crisp result150 g
- High-quality unsalted butterFor shallow-frying; the traditional method uses butter alone100 g
- Lemon2 pieces
Method
Pound the meat and prepare for coating
- 1 Pound 4 pork chops evenly to 1 cm thick with a meat mallet or the base of a bottle.
- 2 Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Coat with egg and breadcrumbs
- 1 Put the egg mixture, 2 eggs plus a pinch of salt, in a tray.
- 2 Spread 150 g breadcrumbs in another tray.
- 3 Dip the meat into the egg and firmly press the breadcrumbs on by hand so they adhere evenly.
Melt the butter
- 1 Melt 100 g butter in a frying pan over medium heat.
- 2 When the foaming subsides and the color begins to change slightly, just before beurre noisette, add the meat.
Ready when
Add the meat when the butter is pale golden.
Caution
Put the meat in before the butter burns black.
Shallow-fry
- 1 Shallow-fry over medium heat, undisturbed, for 4–5 minutes per side.
- 2 Once richly golden, turn and cook the other side in the same way.
Ready when
Proceed when both sides are golden brown.
Caution
Lower the heat if the butter is browning too much.
Finish with salt and lemon
- 1 Absorb excess fat with kitchen paper.
- 2 Immediately sprinkle with salt and squeeze over lemon.
Caution
The coating becomes damp with time, so eat immediately after frying.
About this dish
Cotoletta alla milanese is Milan’s emblematic meat dish. Its original form is a bone-in veal loin chop pounded thin, dipped in beaten egg and breadcrumbs and shallow-fried in butter. Costolette di maiale are its pork version, long prepared as a matter of course in Milan’s dining rooms.
There is a reason for shallow-frying in butter. The aroma of cultured butter transfers into the breadcrumbs and is trapped inside the golden crust: this defines Milanese fried food. The type of fat and its temperature determine the result.
Lemon added immediately before eating cuts through the butter’s richness. The freshly fried crust loses its crispness over time, so the dish is unsuitable for preparing ahead or carrying away.
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