Samoborski Kotlet

Samoborski Kotlet (Samobor Pork Cutlets)

A beloved specialty from the town of Samobor near Zagreb: tender pork cutlets coated with garlic and parsley, finished with a rich pan sauce — traditionally served alongside roasted or pan-fried potatoes.

Prep

20 min

Cook

35 min

Total

55 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1 lb 5 oz) pork loin or boneless pork chops, cut about 1.5 cm thick; loin is most traditional
• •6 g (about 2 tsp) fine sea salt
• •3 g (about 1 tsp) freshly ground black pepper, coarsely ground is traditional
• •10 g (8 to 10 medium cloves) garlic, finely grated or crushed to a paste
• •15 g (about ½ cup loosely packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, divided
• •30 g (¼ cup) all-purpose flour, for dredging
• •40 ml (about 3 Tbsp) lard or pork fat, lard is the traditional frying medium; vegetable oil works as a substitute
• •60 ml (¼ cup) dry white wine, for deglazing; use a Croatian Graševina if available
• •120 ml (½ cup) beef or chicken stock, warm
• •10 g (about 1 Tbsp) unsalted butter, to finish the sauce
• •800 g (1¾ lb) waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges for the traditional side
• •20 ml (about 1½ Tbsp) lard or sunflower oil, for the potatoes
• •2 g (about ½ tsp) salt, for the potatoes

Steps

1. 1 Prepare the pork: lay each cutlet between two pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound to an even thickness of about 1 cm. Season both sides with the salt and pepper.
2. 2 Make the garlic-parsley paste: on a cutting board, mash the grated garlic with half of the chopped parsley and a small pinch of salt using the side of a knife until it forms a fragrant green paste. Rub this paste thoroughly over both sides of each cutlet and let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes (or up to 1 hour refrigerated, covered).
3. 3 Meanwhile, prepare the potatoes: place the potato wedges in a pot of cold salted water, bring to a boil, and parboil 5–6 minutes until just barely tender when pierced. Drain well, return to the hot pot, and shake over low heat for 30 seconds to dry the surfaces.
4. 4 Heat 20 ml lard in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the potato wedges in a single layer, season with the 2 g salt, and pan-fry 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp on all sides. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
5. 5 Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining 40 ml lard, and heat over medium-high until just smoking. Lightly dredge each marinated cutlet in flour, shaking off the excess.
6. 6 Sear the cutlets: lay them in the pan and cook 2–3 minutes on the first side without moving, until a deep golden crust forms. Flip and cook 2 minutes on the second side. The internal temperature should reach 70 °C (158 °F); verify with an instant-read thermometer at the thickest point — the juices should run clear with no pink.
7. 7 Transfer the cutlets to a plate and tent loosely with foil to rest for 5 minutes. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet.
8. 8 Build the sauce: place the skillet over medium heat, add the wine, and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon, simmering until reduced by about half. Add the warm stock and reduce again by about a third, 2–3 minutes. Off the heat, swirl in the butter and the remaining chopped parsley; season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. 9 Serve the cutlets on warm plates with the pan-fried potatoes alongside and the parsley-wine sauce spooned generously over the meat. Serve immediately.