Breaded Fennel Pork Tenderloin

Slices of pork tenderloin served in crispy fennel breadcrumbs, pan-fried in butter and drizzled with fresh lemon juice. This recipe is so simple and good, solid served with grilled veg and salad.

This recipe has been a regular in our house recently. It's so simple yet and full of flavour, the type of dinner we love to make on a relaxed weekend with lots of good sides and a glass of vino.

The pork tenderloin is cut into slices, then pounded thin and breaded in breadcrumbs with fennel seeds (they add so much flavour).

It's then fried in butter for a few minutes until it's deliciously crisp on the outside and beautifully tender on the inside. The great thing about pork tenderloin, especially when bashed thin, is that it cooks quickly, so it only needs a few minutes on each side, yet it stays beautifully soft and tender.

We love serving this with a side of arugula salad, cannellini beans and grilled veg.

• Breadcrumbs – We use Italian Mulino Bianco breadcrumbs, which we love. They are unseasoned with a fine texture.
• Fennel seeds – These add such a good flavour to the breadcrumbs, but if you don't like them or don't have them, you could use dried oregano instead.

Visual walk-through of the recipe

1. Step 1 – Use a sharp knife to trim away any silverskin or sinew around the outside of the pork. Trim it carefully so you don't remove too much of the meat itself (photos 1 and 2).

1. Step 2 – Cut the tenderloin into thick slices, then bash them in between two sheets of baking parchment using a rolling pin or meat mallet until they are around 1cm (¼ inch) thick. Set them aside on a plate and sprinkle them lightly with salt.(photos 3-8).

1. Step 3 – Dip each slice of pork in flour, egg, then breadcrumbs mixed with fennel seeds (phoyos 9-11).

1. Step 4 – Heat ⅓ of the butter with a drizzle of oil in a large pan. Once frothy, fry the pork cutlets until golden brown and crispy (photo 12).
2. Step 5 – Set them aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper. You may need to wipe the pan clean in between batches if the excess breadcrumbs brown too much. Serve on plates with wedges of fresh lemon.

Great side dishes to serve with it

Sides

Italian Roast Potatoes – Rosemary And Garlic

Salads

Arugula Salad with lemon and Parmesan

Sides

Italian Green Beans In Tomato Sauce

Sides

Fagioli all'uccelletto – Beans in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

Makes 4 - 6 servings (makes 8-10 slices)

• 600 g (1.3 lbs) pork tenderloin (fillet)
• all purpose flour (for dredging)
• 2 large eggs
• 150 g (1 heaped cup) fine breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 80 g (2/3 stick) unsalted butter (for frying)
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Lemon wedges (for serving (optional))

Method

Prepare the pork tenderloin

1. Use a sharp knife to trim away any silverskin or sinew around the outside or the tenderloin. Trim it carefully so you don't remove too much of the meat itself (a sharp knife helps).

2. Cut the tenderloin into 1-inch-thick slices, then bash then 1 at a time between two sheets of baking parchment using a rolling pin or meat mallet until they are around 1cm (¼ inch) thick. You should have around 8-10 slices in total)

3. Set them aside on a plate and sprinkle them lightly with salt.

Breading

1. Set up your breading station with a plate of breadcrumbs (add 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds and a pinch of salt), flour on a plate for dredging, and add 2 eggs to a large bowl and whisk them together.

2. One by one, dip each slice of pork in the flour, then egg then breadcrumbs and set it aside on a separate plate. Continue until all the slices have been breaded.

Frying

1. Heat ⅓ of the butter with a drizzle of oil in a large pan. Once frothy, fry the pork cutlets in batches for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.

2. Set them aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper. You may need to wipe the pan clean in between batches if the excess breadcrumbs brown too much.

3. Serve on plates with wedges of fresh lemon.

Kitchen notes

Flavour variations to switch up the flavour, you can add different dried herbs and spices to the breadcrumbs, such as oregano or chilli flakes.

Leftovers and storage leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat in a preheated oven until piping hot throughout or serve cold.