Breaded Fennel Pork Tenderloin

A close up of breaded pork cutlets on a serving plate with lemon wedges.

5 from 1 vote

Tender slices of pork tenderloin served in crispy fennel breadcrumbs, pan-fried in butter and drizzled with fresh lemon juice.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Modern Italian

Servings: - 6 servings (makes 8-10 slices)

Author: Emily Wyper

Ingredients

600 g (1.3 lbs) pork tenderloin (fillet)
all purpose flour for dredging
2 large eggs
150 g (1 heaped cup) fine breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
80 g (2/3 stick) unsalted butter for frying
Olive oil
Salt
Lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the pork tenderloin

Use a sharp knife to trim away any silverskin or sinew around the outside or the tenderloin. Trim it carefully so you don’t remove too much of the meat itself (a sharp knife helps).
Cut the tenderloin into 1-inch-thick slices, then bash then 1 at a time between two sheets of baking parchment using a rolling pin or meat mallet until they are around 1cm (¼ inch) thick. You should have around 8-10 slices in total)
Set them aside on a plate and sprinkle them lightly with salt.

Breading

Set up your breading station with a plate of breadcrumbs (add 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds and a pinch of salt), flour on a plate for dredging, and add 2 eggs to a large bowl and whisk them together.
One by one, dip each slice of pork in the flour, then egg then breadcrumbs and set it aside on a separate plate. Continue until all the slices have been breaded.

Frying

Heat ⅓ of the butter with a drizzle of oil in a large pan. Once frothy, fry the pork cutlets in batches for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.
Set them aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper. You may need to wipe the pan clean in between batches if the excess breadcrumbs brown too much.
Serve on plates with wedges of fresh lemon.

Notes

Flavour variations - to switch up the flavour, you can add different dried herbs and spices to the breadcrumbs, such as oregano or chilli flakes.

Leftovers and storage - leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat in a preheated oven until piping hot throughout or serve cold.

Nutrition