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Serves
2 to 3 (easily doubled)
Author Notes
I love cooking with my siblings. Since we all live in different states, when we are together, cooking is a favorite activity. Before my brother relocated to New York City a few months ago, we had weekly cooking fests – often inspired by food52 (including making edamame2003’s Sriracha to enjoy with steak tacos). He makes a killer crispy ahi, which he breads in flour, egg and panko. One night I decided to pair it with salsa verde – which I love - and it was a delicious match, the piquant green sauce complementing the crisp, moist fish. I almost posted that recipe here, although decided to make it a little more sustainably conscientious and accessible by using pork. It is equally good, if not better, as the pork pairs really nicely with the sweeter citrus from the blood orange and the buttery Lucques olives (they are worth looking for - I found mine at Whole Foods).
NOTE: I made medallions from an additional tenderloin for my gf husband, substituting tapioca starch for the flour and Rudi's bread grated into crumbs for the panko with excellent results. - gingerroot —gingerroot
Test Kitchen Notes
The pork tenderloin pieces were perfection—crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. This dish turns addictive with the added citrus salsa verde. Just be careful with the raw garlic. Cloves vary in size and potency, so taste the garlic as you go, for it can quickly overwhelm the dish. —AndreaLynn
Ingredients
- For the Citrus Salsa Verde
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2
garlic cloves, minced
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1
anchovy fillet, chopped
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6
Lucques olives, pitted, chopped for 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon – can substitute Picholine (if using Picholine, may need a few more)
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1/2 cup
packed flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
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1/4 cup
packed sweet basil leaves (I used 12)
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4 tablespoons
olive oil
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1 tablespoon
blood orange juice
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1 teaspoon
blood orange zest
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1/2 teaspoon
sherry vinegar
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Squeeze of 1 wedge of Meyer lemon (scant 1 tablespoon)
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Sea salt to taste (start with just a tiny pinch)
- For Crisp Pork Cutlets
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1 to 1 1/2 pounds
pork tenderloin, sliced at a slight diagonal into ¾ inch medallions (8-12 pieces, depending on the size of tenderloin)
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1/3 cup
flour, plus more if necessary
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Sea salt
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Ground black pepper
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1
egg
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1/2 teaspoon
blood orange zest
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1/2 cup
panko, plus more if necessary
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1 tablespoon
unsalted butter
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1 tablespoon
olive oil
Directions
- For the Citrus Salsa Verde
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In a small bowl, combine garlic, anchovy, olives, and parsley.
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Cut basil into chiffonade by stacking, rolling and thinly slicing. Add to bowl, immediately followed by olive oil to prevent basil from oxidizing.
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Add blood orange juice, zest, sherry vinegar, lemon juice and sea salt to taste. Stir to combine, and adjust seasonings if necessary. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, pressing wrap down to touch surface of mixture. Set aside to allow flavors to meld.
- For Crisp Pork Cutlets
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Using a meat mallet, flatten medallions evenly until about ¼ inch thick.
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Set up a breading station with three pie pans or rimmed plates. In the first pie plate, add the flour, plus a pinch of salt and ½ t of pepper. In the second pie plate, add your zest and the egg, beating until well combined. In the third pie plate, add the panko.
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Heat a large (at least 12-inch) deep skillet or chef pan over medium heat. Add tablespoon of unsalted butter and tablespoon of olive oil.
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While the pan is heating, bread your medallions by dipping pieces in flour, egg, and then panko, shaking off excess after each. Repeat until all medallions are coated.
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Add medallions to heated pan, and cook about 4-5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through, adding more oil and or butter if necessary (I noticed that panko soaks up the oil/butter quickly). When finished, if your cutlets are especially greasy, allow to drain on a paper towel before arranging on serving platter. Spoon citrus salsa verde over hot cutlets and serve immediately, passing extra sauce. Enjoy!
My most vivid childhood memories have to do with family and food. As a kid, I had the good fortune of having a mom who always encouraged trying new things, and two grandmothers who invited me into their kitchens at a young age. I enjoy cooking for the joy it brings me - sharing food with loved ones - and as a stress release. I turn to it equally during good times and bad. Now that I have two young children, I try to be conscientious about what we cook and eat. Right about the time I joined food52, I planted my first raised bed garden and joined a CSA; between the two I try to cook as sustainably and organically as I can. Although I'm usually cooking alone, my children are my favorite kitchen companions and I love cooking with them. I hope when they are grown they will look back fondly at our time spent in the kitchen, as they teach their loved ones about food-love.
Best of all, after years on the mainland for college and graduate school, I get to eat and cook and raise my children in my hometown of Honolulu, HI. When I'm not cooking, I am helping others grow their own organic food or teaching schoolchildren about art.
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