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Grilled Indian Pork Cutlets

Plate with grilled pork, cilantro mint sauce, cilantro, lemon wedges, sliced red onion and cucumber.

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These Grilled Indian Pork Cutlets are easy to make, incredibly juicy, and SO AMAZINGLY flavorful! Pork cutlets are marinated in a tasty Indian-style marinade, then grilled to charred outside and juicy inside perfection! Perfect for summer gatherings!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 Pork Cutlets, bone-in (about 400 grams / 14 ounces – ½-inch thick pieces) – cleaned and pat-dried (see notes for using other pork cuts)*
  • ¾ TSP Kosher Salt, to taste
  • 4 TBLS Greek Style Yogurt (or use plain whole milk yogurt)
  • 4 Garlic cloves – roughly chopped
  • ½ TBLS minced Ginger
  • 24 Red Chilies (I used Bird’s Eye, but any hot red chilies will work), to taste – finely chopped
  • 1 TBLS freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
  • ¾ TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper
  • 1.75 TSP Garam Masala (store-bought is fine, but homemade garam masala tastes much better)
  • 1 TSP ground Cumin
  • 1 TSP Coriander Powder
  • 1 TSP Turmeric Powder
  • 1 TSP ground Cayenne (optional – or use Kashmiri chili powder), to taste
  • ½ TSP Orange/Red Food Color Powder (optional – or use 12 drops of red or orange liquid food coloring)
  • 2 TBLS Canola Oil (or any neutral flavored cooking oil with a high smoke point)
  • To Serve (optional): Chopped coriander (cilantro), chopped mint leaves, lemon wedges for squeezing, cilantro and mint sauce, sliced red onion, sliced cucumber, steamed rice

Instructions

  1. Season the pork: Clean and pat dry the pork cutlets with paper towels. Working with one cutlet at a time, place the cutlet between two large sheets of cling wrap on a cutting board and use a meat mallet to pound into ½-inch thick pieces. Transfer to a large plate and season both sides with the kosher salt. Set aside while you prepare the marinade.
  2. Marinate the pork: Roughly chop the garlic, mince the ginger, and finely chop the red chilies. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the aromatics into a smooth paste. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the Greek style yogurt, the pounded paste, lemon juice, freshly cracked black pepper, garam masala, ground cumin, coriander powder, turmeric powder, ground cayenne, and orange/red food color powder (if using). Mix with a spoon until evenly combined, then add the pork cutlets to the bowl and turn to coat. (Note: It’s best to use tongs to avoid getting the food color on your fingers). Cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge to marinate for 3-4 hours, or overnight for best flavor.
  3. Grill the pork: Remove the bowl with the marinated pork from the fridge 40-60 minutes before you plan to cook to take the chill off. Heat a nonstick grill pan/griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and brush with the canola oil. Once hot, use tongs to lift the pork cutlets from the bowl and shake off any excess marinade (reserve the marinade). Place the pork cutlets in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes, turning the cutlets over every 30-45 seconds, until slightly charred. Then turn the heat down to medium-low and lightly brush pork with some of the reserved marinade. Cook for 4-5 minutes more, turning frequently. Use tongs to hold up the cutlets to sear the fatty bone side for 30-45 seconds, or until nicely charred. Once the pork has cooked to your liking or reached an internal temperature of at least 140°F/60°C, switch off the heat and transfer to a clean plate.
  4. Rest and slice: Allow to rest for 5 minutes so that the juices inside the cutlets can set. Then place on a cutting board and slice off the fatty bone part, then slice the meaty part into ¼ – ½-inch thick slices.
  5. To Serve: Transfer the pork (including the fatty bone part) to a serving plate and pour any resting juices on top. Garnish with chopped coriander and/or mint leaves, and serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing, cilantro and mint sauce, sliced red onion and cucumber, and steamed rice if desired.

Equipment

Notes

  1. Pork cut. I used bone-in pork cutlets, which is a loin cut that’s great for grilling, pan-frying, or barbequing. But you can use pork porterhouse steaks or pork chops (bone-in or boneless) instead if you like. Cook time will vary depending on the thickness and size of the pork cut.
  2. Ground cayenne and red chilies: Adjust amount to taste, or omit if a milder flavor is desired.
  3. To cook on the grill: Preheat grill too medium-high. Brush canola or vegetable oil on the grill grates. Shake off the excess marinade from the pork, then place on the grill. Grill for 8-12 minutes, turning frequently, until the pork is charred on the outside and the center has cooked to your liking. Do not brush with extra marinade as it will smoke too much and the yogurt will be prone to burning on the BBQ grill. Transfer to a plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Then slice and serve.
  4. To cook in a skillet: Heat canola oil in a cast-iron or nonstick skillet. Once hot, shake off the excess marinade and place the pork on the pan. Sear for a minute, then turn the pork over and sear the other side for another minute. Lower the heat to medium-low and lightly brush with the reserved marinade. Continue cooking for 6-8 minutes, turning frequently, until the pork is charred on the outside and cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Then slice and serve.
  5. Gluten-free: This recipe is 100% gluten-free.
  6. Nutritional information. Nutritional information provided is only for the pork cutlets and not for any optional items for serving with the cutlets.

Nutrition