Southwestern-Style Pork Cutlets: A Zippy Recipe for a Zippy Wine

The summer grilling season will be here before you know it.

Until then, people in many parts of the country… where Mother Nature thinks it’s still winter… can satisfy their desire for “zippy” foods by stating inside and using their oven.

Here’s a zippy take on pork cutlets, and a zippy preparation calls for a zippy wine — like Zinfandel. This recipe yields 4 servings.

SOUTHWESTERN-STYLE PORK CUTLETS

Ingredients

• 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 poblano chile peppers, chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 cups Japanese breadcrumbs (panko)
• 1 1/2 pounds pork cutlets, about ¼-inch thick

Preparation

1. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 425 degrees.

2. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes and peppers with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Spread in a single layer.

3. Bake on lower oven rack until tender and charred in spots (about 35 minutes).

4. Meanwhile, set a wire rack on another rimmed baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.

5. Stir mayonnaise, milk, chili powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Place panko in another large bowl.

6. Add the pork to the mayonnaise mixture and turn to coat. One at a time, transfer each cutlet to the bowl of panko and turn to coat. Arrange on the wire rack, coating both sides of the cutlets generously with cooking spray.

7. Bake cutlets on the upper oven rack until golden brown and cooked through (12 to 18 minutes).