Crispy Pork Chops With Buttered Radishes

Crispy Pork Chops With Buttered Radishes

These crisp, panko-crusted cutlets are your weeknight answer to tonkatsu or Milanese with a simplified, one-step breading procedure, no eggs or flour required. Thin pork chops, either bone-in or boneless, are seasoned with salt and pepper, then simply pressed into panko bread crumbs before crisping up in a hot, oiled skillet. While any quick-cooking vegetable could be tossed in the brown butter and spooned over the chops, radishes are especially nice for the way they keep their bite even after a trip to the skillet. Whatever you do, don’t forget the lemon.
  • Total:
  • Serves: 2 persons

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Step 1

    Season pork with salt and pepper. Place panko in a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish and season it with salt and pepper. Working one at a time, firmly press both sides of each pork chop into the seasoned panko until the chops are evenly and well coated.
  2. Step 2

    Heat oil in a large skillet (10 to 12 inches) over medium-high heat; it should evenly coat the bottom of the skillet. If it doesn’t, add a bit more oil. Place the pork chops in the skillet and cook until deeply golden brown, like the color of a well-baked croissant, 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Step 3

    Using tongs or a spatula, flip pork and continue to cook until well browned on the other side, too, another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate, platter or cutting board lined with paper towel and season with salt.
  4. Step 4

    Wipe out skillet and return to the stove over medium-high heat. Add butter, letting it sizzle, brown and foam. Add capers and half of the radishes, seasoning them with salt and pepper. Toss a few times, just to wilt the radish greens, if they’re still on, and to evenly coat the radishes with the brown butter and capers.
  5. Step 5

    Divide pork chops among plates and nestle butter-tossed radishes and capers alongside, plus remaining raw radishes. Sprinkle with a bit of flaky salt and serve with lemon wedges alongside for squeezing over.