Mcmanus Cutlets

McManus Cutlets
Everyone's had chicken cutlets before, and I honestly have not met a single person who's said 'I hate chicken cutlets.' In fact I would consider chicken cutlets a top five on the simple and delicious list, and for that reason everyone should know how to go about making them. In the handful of times I've prepared dinner for people, where chicken cutlets were part of the meal, I've been asked at least 3 times how I get the bread crumbs to stay on. One person was convinced it could only be done in a commercial kitchen.

That said, I'd like to give a simple walkthrough of making a simple and delicious chicken cutlet, highlighting what I think people fail to do when attempting to make chicken cutlets. The title of this article comes from a buddy of mine who has mastered the art of making chicken cutlets.

What you'll need:
cutting board
2 bowls and a plate
frying pan
frying oil (corn oil or olive oil, you choose)
paper towel roll
a tub of bread crumbs (you can mix the flavor up from time to time)
shredded parmesan cheese
parmesan cheese
couple of eggs
flour
chicken
fists of fury** (this is the important part, you'll see why later)

First get the chicken ready... When buying boneless, skinless chicken breasts, it's usually good to cut them in half (laterally) so you actually get two pieces per thickness of a normal chicken breast. This way you'll maximize the number of chicken cutlets and they'll be nice and thing, the way cutlets should be. So take a couple pounds of chicken, slice them nice and thin and pile them up on your cutting board. I'd recommend a freshly sharpened, high quality knife (not serrated) for this. If you sharpen it yourself, be sure to wash/wipe the blade off so you don't get metal shavings in your chicken!

Now, go ahead and line up your two bowls and then your plate, from left to right. In the first bowl, crack two eggs and mix. In the second bowl, put a generous amount of flour. Then on the plate (preferably a big flat one that won't easily flip over when pushing on the edges), put a LOT of bread crumbs (I'd say at least 1/3 of what you'd get in a typical tub of breadcrumbs). This is the key ingredient so make sure you have enough. Add about half a fist full of parmesan cheese and half a full fist of shredded parmesan cheese. Mix.

Now you're ready to get dirty. Grab a nicely sliced piece of chicken, dip it in the egg bowl until completely covered, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Then move to your flour bowl and get a nice even coat of flour around it, being sure to hit the sides. Now for the important part. Put the chicken in the breadcrumb pile, flip it a few times to get a base coat and then bury it so there is a sufficient layer of bread crumbs below, above, and all around the cutlet. Take your fists and evenly crush the crap outta you cutlet. Make sure you put your back into it. The cutlet will at least triple in size by the end of this process. Check it from time to time but be sure to have a nice layer of bread crumbs around the cutlet while smashing it. Even pressure is important so you don't rupture them, but in the event that you do, it's not a huge deal, you'll just have an extra cutlet. Now this one is ready to fry.

Fill a pan with some oil so that a cutlet would almost be submerged if you put it in there. Heat it up on medium low heat until hot enough for frying. Take your cutlet and fry it up. You'll get a feel for how long just by looking at it, you should flip a couple of times throughout the process. When done, put on a plate with paper towels below and above cutlets as you start to layer them up. This will soak up some of the oil and make them nice and crispy. Lastly, stuff your face you'll love every minute of it.

Adapt whatever cooking style you like, but that is the general routine. Don't be shy when getting the bread crumbs literally into the chicken. That will ensure they stay put when you fry them up. I like to make about 5 lbs at a time (for myself), leaving plenty of extras for lunch sandwiches or quick meals on nights I don't have it in me to cook. They go from frozen to perfectly cooked in less than 7 minutes via microwave defrost followed by a quick zap in a toaster oven (this is important to maintain the crispiness).

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Kitchen Kravings!
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