Italian Pork Piccata with Lemon and Capers
EASY
12 min
Prep
14 min
Cook
4
Servings
Tender, pan-seared thin pork cutlets with a bright lemon-caper sauce, finished with fresh parsley. A classic Italian-American dinner that comes together in 30 minutes—elegant enough for guests but easy enough for weeknight cooking.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pound pork cutlets, pounded thin (1/4 inch)
- 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 0.25 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoon capers in brine, drained
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- 0.5 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 0.25 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Steps
- If using a pork tenderloin, slice it into 1/2-inch thick medallions, then place each piece between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until 1/4 inch thick. If using pre-cut cutlets, pound them to 1/4 inch thickness.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together flour, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Working with one pork cutlet at a time, lightly coat both sides with the flour mixture, tapping off excess, and place on a plate. Repeat with remaining cutlets.
- Mince the garlic cloves and set aside.
- Juice the lemon and measure 1/4 cup; drain the capers and set both aside.
- Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute.
- Working in two batches to avoid crowding, carefully place 2 pork cutlets in the hot oil and sear for 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to a clean plate. Repeat with remaining 2 cutlets.
- Lower heat to medium. Add minced garlic to the same skillet and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the white wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let it simmer for 1 minute.
- Add chicken broth and lemon juice to the skillet, stirring to combine.
- Return all pork cutlets to the skillet and add the drained capers. Simmer for 2 minutes, gently turning the pork once to coat in sauce.
- Remove from heat and stir in the butter until it melts and emulsifies into the sauce.
- Arrange pork cutlets on a serving platter or individual plates. Pour the lemon-caper sauce generously over each piece.
- Garnish with fresh chopped Italian parsley and serve immediately.