Heat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Slice the pork into 16 equal pieces. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over a piece of pork and pound until it's about 1/4 inch thick. With a sharp knife, make tiny incisions at 2-inch intervals around the edge of the cutlet (this will help prevent it from curling as it cooks). Repeat with the remaining pork.

Rub both sides of each cutlet with the crushed garlic and then season generously with salt and pepper.

Put the flour in a wide, shallow bowl. Put the eggs in another wide, shallow bowl and beat them lightly with 3 tablespoons water, the oil, and 3/4 teaspoons salt. Put the panko in a third wide, shallow bowl. Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge the pork in the flour and then the egg mixture, shaking to remove excess. Dredge in the panko, pressing the crumbs into the cutlet to help them adhere. As the cutlets are coated, transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet.

In a large, deep, straight-sided saute pan (a cast-iron skillet works well), heat about 1/4 inch of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Working in batches, cook 3 cutlets at a time, flipping once, until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain the cutlets on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until all of the pork is cooked.

Portion the cutlets among 8 dinner plates and mound the herb salad on top.

Make Ahead: The cutlets can be breaded up to 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate until ready to fry.

In a large bowl, combine the mesclun, lettuce, cabbage, basil, mint, cilantro, scallions, tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk the lime juice, honey, fish sauce, garlic, and chile, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Just before serving, toss the salad mixture with just enough of the dressing to coat the salad lightly--you may not need all of the dressing.

Make Ahead: You can combine, cover, and refrigerate the salad ingredients up to 6 hours ahead. The dressing can be made up to 1 day ahead.