Tender Pork Scallops with Lemon & Herbs

Pork scallops are nothing more than thin cutlets pounded from the loin or tenderloin, treated the way Italian cooks treat veal scaloppine. Dredge in seasoned flour, sear hard in olive oil, and finish in a fast pan sauce while the pan is still hot from the meat. The whole technique takes about 20 minutes, which is why this is a weeknight workhorse rather than a Sunday production.

The deglaze is where home cooks usually fall short. After searing the pork, the pan holds caramelized brown bits that carry most of the dish’s flavor. Pouring in white wine and scraping with a wooden spoon as it reduces by half pulls all that fond into the sauce. Lemon juice and zest brighten it. Fresh parsley keeps it from tasting like everything else with herbs.

Pro Tips

• Pound the cutlets to even thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap. Mismatched cutlets cook unevenly.
• Don’t skip patting the pork dry before flouring. Wet meat steams instead of browning.
• Use a heavy pan and don’t crowd. Two batches with proper sear beats one batch that steams in a crowded pan.
• Add the herbs to the warm sauce, not the screaming-hot reduction. High heat scorches dried herbs and turns them bitter.

Variations

• Stir in a tablespoon of cold butter at the end for a richer, glossier pan sauce.
• Add capers for a pork piccata twist with a salty briny edge.
• Serve over angel hair pasta tossed in some of the pan sauce, with a wedge of lemon on the side.