KNIFE SKILLS: How to Prepare Chicken Cutlets The most difficult step in preparing chicken cutlets is the cutting: it requires a sharp knife and a little practice If you’re still a little green in the kitchen, you’ll probably make a few holes in your chicken breasts before you get the hang of it—no worries, they’ll taste just as good Once you’ve got the breast split, pounding is fun and easy The key is not to pound too hard Hard pounding can make holes in your meat and it gives you less control over the final thickness Easy does it, OK? A dedicated meat pounder is a good investment if you make tons of chicken cutlets or, say, chicken-fried steak But if you’re only an occasional cutlet eater, the bottom of a heavy skillet will do just fine Start by placing a boneless, skinless chicken breast, with the tenderloin removed, on your cutting board, parallel and close to the edge of the counter Hold the chicken with the palm of one hand and, with the other, use a sharp knife to make a horizontal slice all the way through the chicken Do not saw back and forth—if you need to take second stroke to get all the way through, open up the cut chicken, reset the knife, close the chicken around it, hold it in place, and take another stroke Once you’ve split the chicken, working with one piece at a time, place the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap or inside a gallon-sized zipper-lock plastic bag with its sides cut open Gently pound the chicken with a meat pounder or a skillet until it’s an even ¼ inch thick Repeat with the remaining cutlet(s) SAUCES FOR PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN PARTS OR CHICKEN CUTLETS ... close to the edge of the counter Hold the chicken with the palm of one hand and, with the other, use a sharp knife to make a horizontal slice all the way through the chicken Do not saw back and forth—if... second stroke to get all the way through, open up the cut chicken, reset the knife, close the chicken around it, hold it in place, and take another stroke Once you’ve split the chicken, working with... eater, the bottom of a heavy skillet will do just fine Start by placing a boneless, skinless chicken breast, with the tenderloin removed, on your cutting board, parallel and close to the edge of the