Golden Baked Pork Cutlets

From EatingWell: September/October 2007 — Subscribe Now!

These quick breaded pork cutlets made with just a few ingredients are so delicious everyone will be wishing they helped make them. Cutting the super-low-fat pork tenderloin into long fillets makes it quick-cooking. Serve with a medley of steamed vegetables and a side of mashed potatoes for a taste of nostalgia.

READER'S COMMENT:

"These were wonderful. They were easy to make and my 4 yr. old and 2 yr. old gobbled them up, as did my husband and I. I will definitely be making them again. "

4 servings

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat (see Tip)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons canola oil
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
Holding a chef’s knife at a 45° angle and perpendicular to the tenderloin, slice the pork into 4 long, thin “fillets.”
Mix breadcrumbs, sugar, paprika, onion powder and salt in a shallow dish. Drizzle with oil and mash with a fork until the oil is thoroughly incorporated. Lightly beat egg white with a fork in another shallow dish. Sprinkle cornstarch over the pork slices and pat to coat evenly on both sides. Dip the pork into the egg, then press into the breading mixture until evenly coated on both sides. (Discard leftover mixture.)
Place the pork on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until just barely pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F, 14 to 16 minutes.

Tips & Notes

Tip: To make fresh breadcrumbs, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice of bread makes about 1/2 cup fresh crumbs. For dry breadcrumbs, spread the fresh crumbs on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until crispy, about 15 minutes. One slice of fresh bread makes about 1/3 cup dry crumbs. Or use prepared coarse dry breadcrumbs. We like Ian's brand labeled “Panko breadcrumbs.” Find them in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets.

Nutrition

Per serving: 220 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 74 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrates; 26 g protein; 1 g fiber; 377 mg sodium; 475 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (50% daily value).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 3 lean meat