Parmesan Pork Medallions

Late July and I am eighteen weeks pregnant and the baby is moving. The first time was Thursday morning — I was lying still in the early morning and there was a small flutter, like a goldfish turning in water, and I was not sure if it was what I thought it was and then it happened again and I was sure. I put Ryan hand on my stomach and said feel. He lay very still with his eyes closed and waited. The flutter came again. He opened his eyes and said: I feel it. I said: that is the baby. He did not say anything for a moment and then said: hi. Just that. Hi. To the flutter in my stomach at 6 AM on a July morning. I have been thinking about that word all week.

I made stuffed peppers this week, which I make every summer when the garden peppers are producing, except this year the peppers are from Pedro II, who has produced eighteen total over the course of July and who Ryan has been tending with a pride that I can only describe as paternal. I used six for the stuffed peppers — ground beef, rice, tomato, oregano, the full version — and Ryan said they tasted better because they were from our garden. I said the beef and rice are from Aldi. He said the pepper is from Pedro. I said the pepper is from Pedro. We both acknowledged the pepper was from Pedro.

Patty has started sending baby item information through a shared notes app that I did not know she had installed on her phone until the notes started arriving. The notes are detailed and specific and include comparison shopping data that I did not know she was doing. She has been in full Patty organizational mode since the announcement and I am choosing to appreciate it, which I do, genuinely. She loves us. This is how she shows it.

The stuffed peppers were the main event that week, but we eat other things too, and on the nights when I don’t feel like standing over a pot of rice and waiting for peppers to roast, these pork medallions are what I reach for. They take almost no time, they feel like a real dinner, and Ryan will eat them without asking whether any part of the meal came from Pedro — which, on a Wednesday in July when I am eighteen weeks pregnant and tired in a good way, is exactly the kind of uncomplicated I need.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch medallions
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Prep the medallions. Slice the pork tenderloin into 1-inch thick rounds. Place each round between plastic wrap and gently pound to about 1/2-inch thickness.
Set up the coating. In a shallow dish, combine the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place the beaten egg in a separate shallow dish.
Coat the pork. Dip each medallion into the egg, letting the excess drip off, then press both sides into the Parmesan mixture until evenly coated.
Cook until golden. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the medallions for 3-4 minutes per side, until the crust is golden brown and the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
Rest and serve. Let the medallions rest for 3 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Parmesan Pork Medallions — A Summer Dinner While We Wait for What’s Growing