Honey-Mustard Pork Scallopini

Pork chops pounded to ⅛-inch thin, brushed with honey mustard, and fried in a cracker-crumb coating until shatteringly crisp. This pork scallopini goes from cutting board to plate in about 30 minutes.

Pounding the chops that thin is what makes this work. At ⅛ inch, the pork cooks through in 2 to 3 minutes per side, fast enough that the coating gets deeply golden and crunchy before the meat has any chance of drying out. Use a meat mallet or a heavy skillet and work between sheets of plastic wrap to keep things clean.

The coating is a mix of crushed butter-flavored crackers and bread crumbs. The crackers add a buttery richness and extra crunch that plain bread crumbs alone can’t match. Spicy brown mustard mixed with honey acts as both the flavor layer and the glue that holds the crumbs in place.

Frying in a combination of oil and butter gives you the high heat tolerance of oil with the flavor of browned butter.

Pro Tips

• Pound the chops evenly. Thick spots cook slower and leave you with a mix of done and underdone pork in the same piece.
• Don’t flip more than once. Each flip risks knocking off the crust. Let it cook undisturbed until golden, then turn.
• Let the coated chops rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes before frying. This helps the coating adhere better.

Variations

• Use Dijon mustard instead of spicy brown for a smoother, sharper flavor.
• Swap the crackers for crushed cornflakes for an even crunchier coating.
• Serve with a quick pan sauce: deglaze the skillet with apple cider and a spoonful of whole-grain mustard.