Serves 2 to 4
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Quick Pickley Cucumber Salad:
1 seedless cucumber, peeled if desired
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill (preferable) or 1 teaspoon dried dill
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pork Schnitzel:
4 1/2-inch (4 ounce) thick boneless pork chops
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole milk
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh thyme
2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise, use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds, and slice the cucumbers into thin half-moons.
Place the sliced cucumber and the onion in a colander and toss with the salt. Let sit for 10 minutes, then rinse the cucumber and onion in very cold water and, using your hands, squeeze the vegetables to remove as much water as possible. Place the cucumber mixture in a clean dishtowel, roll up, and twist and squeeze to remove as much water as possible again.
In a serving bowl, stir together the vinegar, sugar, dill and pepper. Add the cucumber and onion and toss to combine. Hold in the fridge.
Place each pork chop between two pieces of plastic wrap and use a rolling pin (or bottle of wine) to gently pound the pork chops until they are of an even thickness between ¼- and 1/3-inch thick.
Place the flour in a shallow bowl, the milk in another shallow bowl, and the Panko bread crumbs in a third shallow bowl. Season the flour and the milk lightly with salt and pepper. Stir the thyme into the Panko.
Season the pork lightly with salt and pepper, then dip each piece into the flour, shaking off any excess, and then into the milk, then the Panko, pressing so that the bread crumbs adhere to the pork. Place the breaded pork on a plate or wire rack.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet until hot. Cook the pork for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and just cooked through; you will probably need to do this in at least two batches, adding more oil for the second batch as needed.
When the pieces of pork are cooked, place them briefly on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve the pork with the Quick Pickley Cucumber Salad.
Nutrition information per serving:
Quick Pickley Cucumber Salad: 29 calories; 0 calories from fat; 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 481 mg sodium; 7 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 2 g protein.
Pork Schnitzel: 362 calories; 197 calories from fat; 22 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 68 mg cholesterol; 596 mg sodium; 14 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 26 g protein.
Katie Workman, Associated Press
