Sesame-Crusted Pork Cutlets with Crispy Shallots Recipe

Dressing:

1. In a blender, blend the water, vinegar, miso, soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, olive oil, and sesame oil until smooth and creamy. Set aside until ready to plate the cutlets.

Crispy Shallots:

1. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, slice the shallots into very thin rings. Separate the rings with fingers and press them between paper towels to extract as much moisture as possible before frying.

2. In a small (8-inch) skillet combine the oil and shallots. Place over medium heat and cook, watching carefully. The shallots will begin to bubble as they cook.

3. Stir often, turning down the heat as necessary to keep the shallots from burning. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until golden brown and most of the bubbling has stopped.

4. With a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots to paper towels to drain. Strain the oil through a fine-meshed sieve to catch any small bits of shallot and set aside for cooking the cutlets. (Any leftover oil from this recipe can be saved for other recipes.)

Pork Chops:

1. If using thick boneless pork chops instead of packaged thin cutlets, butterfly and pound the chops flat (or ask the butcher to do this).

2. To butterfly, make a deep, horizontal cut in each pork chop, stopping about ¼ inch from the edge. Open the chop like a book.

3. To pound, place each butterflied chop between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin to a thickness of ¼-inch. Set on a baking sheet.

4. Crack the eggs into a pie pan or shallow bowl, and whisk vigorously. In a second pie pan or bowl, combine the panko, sesame seeds, salt, and pepper.

5. From right to left on the counter, set the baking sheet of cutlets, bowl of beaten egg, and bowl of panko mixture in a line.

6. With tongs, dip one cutlet into the beaten eggs and lift it up so the excess falls back into the bowl. Transfer it to the bowl of panko and coat both sides.

7. Return it to the baking sheet. Continue with the remaining cutlets until they are all coated.

8. Over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet, heat about ¼ inch of the reserved vegetable oil until hot. Place a clean sheet pan in the oven and heat the oven to 250 degrees F.

9. Add 2 or more cutlets to the pan in a single layer (leave room between them so they are not crowded.) Cook for 4 minutes, or until golden on the underside. Turn and cook on the other side for 4 minutes, or until golden.

10. Transfer to the oven to keep warm while cooking all the cutlets and dress the spinach.

To Assemble:

1. Toss the spinach with a tablespoon or two of dressing, to taste. Divide between plates.

2. Cut the chops in half if they are large, and set one on top of each plate of the spinach. Sprinkle with the crispy shallots and drizzle a little of the leftover dressing on each plate.

3. Any remaining dressing can be kept refrigerated for a week or so.