Pork Schnitzel with Warm Potato Salad

Wash your hands and clean the work surface. Rinse the potatoes, lemon, and parsley under running water; scrub the potatoes and lemon, trim any damaged areas, and dry. Slice the potatoes, halve any especially wide slices, finely chop the onion and parsley, and cut the lemon into 8 wedges. Complete this produce preparation before handling the raw pork.

Put the potatoes in the saucepan with 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10–14 minutes, until a knife slides easily through the slices but they still hold their shape.

Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar, Dijon mustard, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in the large bowl. Whisk in 1/4 cup canola oil, then stir in the onion. Let the dressing stand while the potatoes finish cooking to mellow the onion.

Drain the potatoes thoroughly and let them steam dry for 1 minute. Add them to the dressing while still hot and fold gently to coat. Fold in the parsley. Return the salad to the warm, empty saucepan, cover, and set aside off the heat while you prepare and fry the pork.

Place each pork chop between sheets of plastic wrap and pound evenly to 1/4-inch thickness, working from the center outward. Pat dry with paper towels and season both sides with the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided among all four cutlets. Wash your hands and clean any surfaces that touched raw pork.

Put the flour in one shallow dish, beat the eggs with a fork in a second dish, and put the breadcrumbs in a third. Coat each cutlet first in flour, shaking off the excess, then in beaten egg, letting excess drip off, and finally in breadcrumbs. Press gently so the crumbs adhere without packing them down.

Pour the remaining 1 cup canola oil into the skillet. Heat over medium-high heat to about 350°F. The oil should form a shallow layer rather than submerge the cutlets.

Carefully lower 1–2 cutlets into the oil, depending on their size; keep them in a single layer without crowding. Shallow-fry for about 2–3 minutes per side, turning once, until golden and crisp. Adjust the heat to keep the oil near 350°F without smoking. Check each cutlet by inserting an instant-read thermometer horizontally into its thickest part; the pork must reach at least 145°F.

Transfer cooked cutlets to the wire rack and let each rest for at least 3 minutes before serving. Fry the remaining cutlets in the same oil, allowing it to return to temperature between batches. Keep the cooked cutlets uncovered and unstacked so the crust stays crisp.

Gently stir the warm potato salad. Divide it among four plates and add one rested cutlet to each. Divide the 8 lemon wedges among all four portions and serve promptly.