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.
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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
Most Helpful
The flavors were GREAT. I made this with spaghetti instead of farro. After draining the spaghetti I tossed it in a bit of the sauce that goes on the pork, and served the pork on top of the spaghetti. The sauce was great on the pasta. This was a bit labor intensive; good for a weekend meal. I probably wouldn't have time to make it during the week.
1 Helpful42 reviews
Surprisingly simple and delicious, the pan sauce/ gravy is amazing. I've ordered Piccata at restaurants many times, now I'm excited to make it myself.
0 HelpfulI used a portion of pork loin that I had. I sliced it thin and pounded it. The meat and sauce were delicious and easy to make. The farro on the otherhand took forever. I followed the directions on the package of Wegmans farro and cooked if for 35 minutes and it still needed longer. Next time I will know to start it earlier, or just go with a different grain. I didn't make the asparagus but served it with broccoli and cauliflower.
0 HelpfulFor a veg meal, this was really yummy. I was surprised how much my husband liked it. I poured the whole caper jar, juice and all, into 1 cup of yogurt, and it was ten times better than the recipe's way. Had IP'd the lentils in chicken broth, for 12 minutes. But next time want to try a lower time so they are slightly less mushy.
0 Helpful