Tips for perfect cutlet: Ensure crispy, lasting breading

Meat with breading, especially pork cutlet, is one of our beloved, classic dinners. It's quick, easy, and seems as if it should always turn out well. Yet, sometimes breading can present issues. That's why it's worth knowing these tricks.

The key to success is proper preparation of the meat. Marinating pork in milk with aromatic spices is a proven way to make the cutlets juicy. You can also add onion, garlic, allspice, and bay leaves to the milk, which will further tenderise the meat and prevent it from drying out during frying.

In a hurry and want to get the meat cooking as soon as possible? The rule remains the same. Before you start breading, ensure it is thoroughly dry. Breading won't adhere to moist meat. On dry meat, it attaches perfectly, ensuring the cutlets fry evenly. Another critical rule is about frying: the meat should only be placed in the pan when the oil is properly heated. If the pan is too cold, the breading is likely to fall off.

And the breading itself? Traditionally, it involves only three ingredients: flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Not much can be altered here, but one trick is to add a bit of salt and oil to the egg. This ensures better adhesion. And if we want to achieve perfectly crispy breading, a pinch of baking soda can be added. Thanks to this, the breading will be perfect.

Our grandmothers had another trick for the breading. They added a little buckwheat flour to the breadcrumbs. This gave the cutlets a unique flavour and exceptional texture. What else is important? There shouldn't be too little or too much breading. It seems simple, yet it often takes several times to fry the cutlets to get the amount right. Master chefs also advise against pressing down on the cutlets while frying. This causes the breading to come off and doesn't expedite the frying process.