Crispy Portuguese Breaded Pork Cutlets • Panados

Heyoooo Breaded Pork Steaks!!!!! What? I think everyone should have that attitude when faced with this deliciousness, it should be hugs and high fives all around, they’re simply delicious and a good reason to celebrate hehehe. Well-seasoned and fried, they’re the perfect complement to any sandwich or meal.

For this recipe I tried to replicate the most typical Portuguese version, yes you can make richer versions, more heavily seasoned, with more tender cuts of pork, etc etc, but the most typical version in Portugal, the one you find at any snack bar or cafeteria, is a thin pork steak that’s been beaten or pounded a bit to make it more tender, just a little seasoning, passed through flour, whisked egg and breadcrumbs and fried until golden brown, preferably served with a wedge of lemon.

Oh and before I forget, the ideal is always to make a pile. I made 8 steaks (which was enough for one meal and some sandwiches), just because it takes a bit of work, so making 8 or 2 is going to take roughly the same amount of work, so you might as well make a pile and yes, after breading and before frying you can wrap them up and keep them in the fridge for a couple of days without any problems.

A beautiful breaded pork steak is good fresh out of the pan nice and crispy, but it’s also pretty darn good the next day. Grab a crusty roll, slap on some mayo and the breaded pork and you’re done, perfection. So let’s get to the recipe!

Crispy Portuguese Breaded Pork Cutlets • Panados

Servings: 4-8
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Nothing more delicious than a crispy golden breaded pork steak, how about trying this portuguese classic, with a side or in a sandwich its always delightfull.

Ingredients

Pork – 8 Pork Steaks (Thinly Sliced)
Flour – 120g
Eggs – 2 L
Breadcrumbs – 250g
Cooking Oil – As Needed (I used Sunflower Oil)
Pepper – A Pinch
Salt – A Pinch

Directions

Start by tenderizing the pork steaks. If they are thick, I would recommend gently pounding them with a kitchen hammer, but since they are thin, it is best to use a rolling pin and simply roll them out. This will break down the fibers of the steaks and make them more tender.

Season each side of each steak with a little salt and pepper.

Prepare three large plates, one with wheat flour, another with the two whisked eggs seasoned with a pinch of salt, and one with the breadcrumbs.

Now dip a steak in the flour, shake off the excess, dip it in the whisked egg, and finally coat it in the breadcrumbs, pressing the steak down a little so that the breadcrumbs stick well. Repeat for the remaining steaks.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. It doesn’t need to be very deep, because you will turn the steaks over to fry the other side, but of course, if you want to use more oil, that’s up to you, especially if you are making a lot.

When the oil is hot, fry the breaded pork. Depending on the frying pan and the size of each steak, fry 1 or 2 at a time. When one side is golden brown, turn and fry the other side.
When the pork cutlets are golden brown, remove them to paper towels or a grill to drain from excess oil and that’s it. Serve in a sandwich or accompanied by whatever you like with lemon slices to squeeze on each cutlet to cut through the fat. Bon appétit!

Notes: After breading and before frying, you can wrap and freeze the steaks to fry later, they’ll keep beautifully for future cravings.

If you don’t have breadcrumbs, you can grind up any bakery bread to make your own breadcrumbs.

Another good tip is to line the area around the stove with aluminium foil, not just for this recipe, for any fried food, just to avoid making a mess with the grease that will naturally splatter. For this kind of breaded foods is always better to use a frying pan instead of a deep fryer, because the oil will get dirty quickly, and you will need to clean the deep fryer, better to do it in a frying pan, less clean-up, less waste.

This is a classic Portuguese steak recipe, but it also makes an absolutely fantastic sandwich. Grab a crusty Portuguese roll, add some mayo, tuck in your breaded steak, and you’ve got yourself one of Portugal’s most beloved handheld meals. It’s easy to make and delicious, the kind of recipe that’s equally at home on a dinner plate or between two slices of bread.

Making 8 or 2 takes roughly the same effort, so go ahead and make a bunch of steaks. These are just as amazing the next day in a sandwich as they are fresh from the pan.

The squeeze of lemon is traditional and helps cut through the richness of the fried coating, but you can also serve these with rice, fries, or a simple salad.

This recipe for Crispy Portuguese Breaded Pork Cutlets • Panados was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Panados de Porco foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.