Pork Schnitzel with Arugula

Schnitzel time!! Patrick is a big fan of this German dish and this was our first attempt at preparing it. Quick tip of the hat to the German inspired bakery Guglhupf (in Durham) where Patrick gives two thumbs up to their schnitzel! The recipe is from my new Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Simple Suppers cookbook. I love their Food Made Fast series of cookbook. They're easy to use and there's plenty of inspiration with pictures of every dish. I have the pasta one and the recipes are phenomenal.

No big notes or comments with this one. I followed things by the recipe and didn't tweak too much. The only thing I would add next time is an extra shallot. Served the schnitzel with a roasted sweet potato.

Pork Schnitzel with Arugula
2 lemons
1 1/2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup flour
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 egg
4 boneless pork cutlets
4 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, minced
6 oz arugula (the container I bought had 5 oz and that was plenty)

Bread the pork. Finely grate 2 teaspoons zest and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon. Cut the second lemon into 8 wedges. Spread the bread crumbs on a plate. On another plate, stir together the flour, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg with 1 1/2 tablespoons water. Place 1 pork cutlet between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Using a meat pounder or the flat bottom of a heavy pan, lightly pound the pork until it is about 1/2 inch thick. (Patrick pounded a little more since he likes his schnitzel a little thinner.) Repeat with the remaining cutlets. Dip both sides of each cutlet in the flour, then in the egg, and finally in the crumbs, coating evenly and patting them firmly so they adhere. (The pork cutlets can be prepared, covered, and refrigerated up to 3 hours in advance.)

The work station. Into the flour, the egg, the bread crumbs, and then on the rack to wait for the pan.

Cook the pork. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the cutlets and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and barely pink in the center, 4-6 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

The perfect flip.

Make the salad. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in the lemon juice, scraping up the browned bits on the pan bottom. Remove from the heat, add the arugula, and toss briefly to coat with the dressing. Divide the cutlets among dinner plates and top with the arugula mixture. Garnish with the lemon wedges and serve.