Pork Piccata with roasted asparagus / farro
No matter what protein is used in this iconic dish, the word Piccata is a sign that it includes a flavor-packed sauce made with lemon, wine, capers, and fresh parsley. We're using pork instead of the more common chicken (but feel free to use chicken if you prefer!).
Smarts: To save time on pounding the pork thin, look for thin-sliced cutlets at your grocery's butcher counter or ask the butcher to slice them for you.
Ingredients
- Shallots - 2 cloves, diced
- Parsley, fresh - 1/4 cup, chopped
- Pork chops, boneless - 1 lb (look for thin-sliced cutlets to save time)
- Lemons, juice of - 2 1/2 Tbsp
- Flour, all-purpose - 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
- Oil, cooking - 2 Tbsp
- Butter - 2 Tbsp
- Oregano, dried - 1/2 tsp
- Wine, white - 1/2 cup (sub stock)
- Stock, any type - 1 cup
- Capers - 2 Tbsp, drained
- Asparagus - 1 bunch, trimmed
- Oil, olive - 2 tsp
- Vinegar, balsamic - 2 tsp
- Red pepper flakes - 1/4 tsp
- Farro, semi-pearled / husked and uncooked - 3/4 cup
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Farro - (Double if making Wednesday’s meal; if prepping right before cooking, get oven heating when farro is nearly finished cooking.) Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Give it a generous sprinkle of salt and add farro. If you bought semi-pearled or husked farro, it should take about 25 minutes to cook until al dente, tender but not soggy. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Asparagus / Shallots / Parsley - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Pork chops - If the pork was not thinly sliced by the butcher, place it between two pieces of parchment and pound to thin. Season on both sides with some salt and pepper. Tenderize with a fork. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
- Lemons - Juice lemons.
- Prepare breading - Combine first portion of flour, salt, and black pepper in a shallow baking dish.
Make
- Heat oven to 425F / 218C.
- Spread asparagus out on a sheet pan and toss with olive oil, vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Season with some salt and black pepper.
- Transfer asparagus to the oven and roast, shaking the pan halfway through cooking, until asparagus is tender, 8 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness of spears).
- While asparagus roasts, heat a large skillet with cooking oil over medium heat. Working with one piece of pork at a time, coat it in flour mixture, shaking off any excess, and transfer to heated pan. (Do this in batches if all of the pork won’t fit in a single layer in the skillet.) Sear pork on both sides until just cooked through and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes total.
- Set cooked pork aside.
- Add butter to heated pan. When butter melts, add shallots. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Stir in oregano and second portion of flour. Stir until no dry spots remain.
- Pour wine into pan and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce reduces by half, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in lemon juice and capers. Add pork back to pan and spoon sauce over top.
- If farro was made ahead, reheat in the microwave (reserve half if doubled).
- Serve pork and sauce over farro with parsley on top. Enjoy with asparagus on the side.
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
28 reviews
This was delicious! We did vermicelli (dressed with olive oil, garlic salt and parsley) instead of the farro. We also used white wine and chicken broth. This will definitely be a favorite!
0 HelpfulI used chicken breasts because that’s what I had, but it was delicious. Hubby and kids all enjoyed it.
0 HelpfulThis worked out pretty well. I liked the asparagus a lot. I think it just wasn't flavours I like. I'm glad I tried it though, and I might give it another shot someday. The tasty sauce was a nice surprise!
0 HelpfulI made a lot of subs (shrimp, pasta, green beans) but it was still great. This is a good basic formula for an easy, flexible and delicious meal!
0 HelpfulMy family loved this. My 12 yr old son said it’s his new favorite. We didn’t have asparagus, so I made roasted roasted Brussels sprouts.
0 Helpful