Pork Cutlets with White Beans and Collard Greens

I've never cooked pork tenderloin like this before and I was astounded at how far one tenderloin can go.  By pounding it into cutlets I ended up with 5 very large pieces of pork.  Plenty for dinner and leftovers too.

Here's what you need:

1 lb pork tenderloin
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
2 teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons fresh sage or 1 tablespoon dried sage
2 tablespoons oil

1 bunch collard greens
1 can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 clove garlic
1 small red bell pepper or hot red pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper

First, set up your breading station. 

Start by mixing the flour with salt and pepper on a plate or shallow bowl.  

Stir to combine.

Then mix the egg, mustard and a tablespoon of water in a shallow bowl.

Whisk to combine.

Then in a separate shallow bowl or plate combine panko with sage and some more salt and pepper.

Place these dishes in a row, ready to bread the pork.

Now cut your pork tenderloin into 4-5 equal-sized pieces.  

Spread a double-thickness of plastic wrap on the counter and place another layer of plastic wrap over top.

With a mallet, gently pound the pork into a thin cutlet, about 1/2 an inch thick.

Here's the flattened piece.  

Dredge the pork first in the flour, coating both sides and shaking to remove excess. 

Then dip the floured pork in the egg-mustard mixture, coating both sides.

Next coat with panko on both sides and remove to a plate.  Repeat with each piece of tenderloin until all are coated with panko.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan.  When it's hot, add the pork, working in batches and being careful not to crowd the pan.

Brown for 2-3 minutes, then flip to brown the other side.  Remove to a baking sheet and keep warm in a 300 degree oven while you cook the next batch of pork.

Meanwhile, remove the stems from the collard greens, chop into ribbons and rinse.  

Mince the garlic and red pepper.

Once all the pork is cooked and resting in the oven, wipe out the pan and add another tablespoon of oil, then add the garlic and peppers.  Be careful not to let the garlic burn.

After about a minute, add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Add the greens and cook a few minutes until wilted.

Then add the rinsed and drained white beans plus some salt and pepper and stir together until heated through.  

To serve, mound some greens and beans on a plate.

Top with a pork cutlet.  I'm not usually the world's biggest fan of beans, mostly because of the texture, but combined with the greens and the crispy pork, it was a real winner.  

I served this with a beet and orange salad and it was fantastic!  There were lots of leftovers for another dinner later in the week.