Keep Breading On Meat Tips

Coating meat with a breading mixture before cooking it retains moisture in the meat and allows some of the meat's juices to permeate the breading, producing a delicious crust. Breading is also another vehicle to apply seasoning to the meat by direct contact. Breaded meat is cooked in the oven or broiler and pan-fried with equally good results. Cooking breaded meat in the oven and broiler give it that fried food flavor without the detrimental health effects of oil. It is very frustrating to go through the process of breading meat only to have it stick to the pan or fall off while cooking.

Preparing the Work Area
1.Dry the refrigerated meat with paper towels. Set the meat on a paper towel and cover it with another to keep it dry. Place the dish of meat to the left side on the workstation.
2.Set a medium-sized bowl of all-purpose flour, seasoned to taste with black pepper, salt and Italian seasoning, to the right of the meat.
3.Blend two eggs with ½ cup buttermilk in a medium-sized bowl. Place it to the right of the flour mixture.
4.Make a breading mix of bread crumbs seasoned to taste with black pepper, salt and grated parmesan cheese in a medium-sized bowl. The parmesan cheese adds flavor and helps bind the breading together when it melts.
5.Place a cooling rack on a cookie sheet and set it to the right of the breading mix.
Breading the Meat
1.Use your left hand to remove the paper towel from the meat and place a piece of meat into the flour mixture. Cover the piece of meat on all sides and edges with the flour, using the right hand while keeping the hand as dry as possible.
2.Use the right hand to place the meat in the egg wash without touching the egg wash.
3.Use the left hand, or "wet hand", to immerse the meat completely in the egg wash. Lift the meat out and allow it to drain back into the bowl, and then place it in the bread crumb mixture.
4.Rake breading onto the top of the meat with the dry right hand and then coat it heavily with the bread crumbs, pressing down gently to make the crumbs stick to the meat. Lay the breaded piece of meat onto the cooling rack inside the cookie sheet.
5.Continue the process until all meat has been breaded and then place the cookie sheet into the refrigerator for one hour. The time of refrigeration allows the breading to bind together.
Cooking the Meat
1.Combine half butter and half olive oil into a skillet on medium-high and pre-heat it until the oil sizzles and pops when a drop of water falls into it. The oil level should be about ½-inch high in the skillet; add more as you proceed if necessary.
2.Place the meat into the skillet and press down on it gently with a spatula so it seats evenly onto the surface of the skillet.
3.Slide the skillet back and forth across the burner carefully. When the meat dislodges from the bottom, turn it over and cook it on the other side. Serve immediately.