Pounded pork tenderloin gets a marinade of garlic infused yogurt, honey, lemon juice and turmeric for this Honey Turmeric Pork Cutlet that gets topped with a fresh, bright Rainbow Beet and Carrot Salad for an all in one meal. Visually beautiful and wickedly tasty!
This is an adaption of a recipe I saw in a Bon Appetit magazine that was left on my seat on a recent trip. The headline stated “Don’t Fear the Sear!” and the colors for the dish were beautiful.
To properly brown the meat it said, make sure the pan is ripping hot, and don’t crowd the skillet, work in batches. Don’t fear the sear! It’s my new mantra.
These get a quick marinade in a garlic infused yogurt, honey, lemon juice and turmeric. The smell and color is amazing and it’s a simple 10 minute wait until searing the pounded pork cutlets.
I used pork tenderloins that I pounded between plastic wrap. I couldn’t quite get these meaty boys down to the quarter inch they recommended, but did my best and ended cooking them another minute longer for the most juiciest seared pork I’ve had in ages.
The honey gets caramelized on the outside and the flavor penetration is incredible. I also allowed mine to marinate 30 minutes due to them being a bit thicker.
The wonderfully colorful and tasty rainbow beets get sliced paper thin on a mandolin and the carrot are cut thin as well. Tossed with an olive oil, lemon and herb vinaigrette I set them aside to marinate until I was ready to plate. I hope you give this a try!
To learn more about the health benefits of turmeric, check out this comprehensive article on 15 Health Benefits of Turmeric & Why it is Good for Weight Loss (with complete history, benefits, nutrition, side effects and the best recipes of turmeric) by Cindy Wilson, a Certified Natural Health Consultant and Wellness Coach.
If pork is your thing, check out my Cranberry Glazed Pork Loin Chops, Roasted Pork Loin Filet with Apples and Fennel, or this Paprika Pork Schnitzel. Enjoy!

Honey Turmeric Pork Cutlet with Rainbow Beet and Carrot Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork shoulder Boston Butt, fat trimmed, cut into 4 pieces
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves smashed, chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup honey
- 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice divided
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided
- 2 medium sized rainbow beets scrubbed, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots peeled, sliced thin
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
- 1 tbsp chopped mint
- 2 tsp chopped parsley
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Pound the pork between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to 1/4” thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Whisk together the garlic, yogurt, honey, turmeric and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in a small bowl. Place the pounded pork cutlets in a Ziplock or bowl and pour marinade over, mixing to coat all sides. Seal bag or cover bowl and allow to sit 10 minutes of place in refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Whisk together the garlic, olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, salt and pepper, chopped chives, mint and parsley. Toss the sliced beets and carrots in the vinaigrette, season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow to rest at room temperature as you cook the pork.
- Place a cast iron skillet or pan over high heat for a minute or two. Add oil to pan. Working in batches, remove the pork from marinade, allowing excess to drip off and sear on both sides for 2-3 minutes on medium high heat until browned and cooked through. Remove from pan, to a platter and cook remaining cutlets.
- Serve pork cutlets topped with herb dressed beet and carrot salad.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
I just put my chops in the marinade. Didn’t have honey or yogurt so used brown sugar and sour cream. We will see! Lol
How did they turn out Dani?
I made thus verbatim except my mandolin is not the best so after i “marinated” the beets and carrots i actually added them to the pan with the pork and my guy loved it. Id give it four stars but my phone let me!
So good to read comments like these. Thanks so much Charlie, so glad you guys enjoyed!
Isn’t Bon Appetit the best? Honestly, it’s the only cooking magazine that I subscribe to. And, I must say, that your version of this looks even better than what was in the magazine – well done!
Thanks Marissa, that means a lot! That and Cooking are the two I get for my iPad. Hope you’re enjoying the sweet and savory of Paris! 😉
Don’t fear the sear! Love it – and so true. The marinade sounds delicious and I bet would work just as well to perk up chicken or lamb cutlets as well.
Most definitely Nancy! It got a little smoky, but worth it. 🙂
This is a pretty epic recipe, Kevin. And it’s so colorful, I love the rainbow beets! And that you sliced them with a mandoline! I have one too and I’m always looking for ways to impress myself with it. We eat a lot of pork in my house, and I’m always looking for inspo. Pretty sure I’m going to grill these bad boys. Have a great weekend!
Thanks Meggan! We’re pretty big on pork too, and less on beef these past couple years. It really lends itself to flavor so well.
I was never a sweet potato or beet fan and in the last year have really developed a taste for them. I love the texture of how thin these get with the mandolin and the dressing adds a nice pop of flavor, too.
BTW, it was another over 100° + weekend here, how about you guys? This needs to stop and get cooler! 🙂
Honey + Turmeric?!?! That is one interesting combo, but I love me some weird combos! 🙂
You and me both GiGi – variety is definitely the SPICE of life! The leftover cutlets were fantastic sliced over a salad, too. Have a great weekend. 🙂
Hey Kevin! Once again, a stunning dish! We just had pork steaks (which, of course, are just thinly sliced pork butt) with mushroom gravy and smashed potatoes the other night. Gary is quite adept in the kitchen!This marinade sounds wonderful! You guys have a great weekend! 🙂
Hey there Dorothy! Hope this finds you and your back doing better.
Thank you for making me hungry again with the vision of Gary’s pork steaks, smashed potatoes and gravy. That sounds so comforting and good.
Enjoy your weekend!
P.S. Now I need to respond to your emails. Work has been super busy and I need to catch up!
That honey turmeric pork look like something I’d make on the regular! And that carrot salad looks like the perfect refreshing component to this dish! 😀
It got a little smokey at first when that marinade hit the sizzling hot pan, but well worth the turmeric steam facial! Thanks Kennedy, hope you give it a try. Have great weekend.
Well I know what I’m making soon! I so rarely cook cutlers chops but these look perfect. Great job my friend and have a great weekend!
Thanks Mike, I think it was such a moist and tasty cut, worked well and that salad surprised me. Altogether a perfect meal in no time!