Pork Cordon Bleu

Pork Cordon Bleu

(America)

serves 4

This is an adaption of the traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu developed to use pork scallopini in place of the chicken.  The rolling technique may take a while to master but once you have it can be applied in a number of situations calling for "jelly rolls" of meat.  Use the best prosciutto and most flavourful Gruyere cheese as you can find, skimping on these key ingredients will produce less than satisfactory results using the best ingredients will produce a meal to remember!

Ingredients

4 thin cut boneless pork chops, pounded into 1/8" thick scallopini

4 thin slices prosciutto di Parma

1/2 pound Gruyere, grated

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup panko bread crumbs

4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and micro-planed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

1.  Trim all fat from the edges of the boneless pork chops.  One at a time, place the trimmed pork chops in a 1 gallon zip closure plastic bag or between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the pork into 1/8-inch thick scallopini. Continue until all the pork chops have been turn into scallopini.

2.  Working with one scallopini at a time and working on a clean, flat work surface lay out a sheet of plastic wrap large enough to accommodate the scallopini you are working with.  Place the scallopini on top of the sheet of plastic and lay 2 slices of the prosciutto neatly over the top to cover the scallopini and sprinkle 1/4 of the grated cheese over the prosciutto. Tuck in the sides of the scallopini as well as possible (this will keep the cheese from "oozing out" as you fry) and, using the plastic wrap as an aid, roll the scallopini tightly in a jellyroll manner inside the plastic wrap as to create a "sausage" whose skin becomes the plastic wrap. Squeeze the "sausage" gently to seal and twist both ends of the wrap tightly. Repeat with until all the scallopini, prosciutto, and cheese have been used.

3.  Place the scallopini "sausages" in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to all the form to "set".

4.  In the meanwhile, create a breading station by seasoning the flour with the  salt and pepper on a dish, mixing the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic and kosher salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter (the butter will help the crust brown) on another plate, and beat together the eggs in a bowl.

5.  Working with one scallopini "sausage" at a time, remove the plastic wrap, lightly dust the unwrapped "sausage" with flour, dip it into the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs and place the breaded "sausage" on the prepared cookie sheet; continue until all the "sausages" have been breaded.

6.  Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, when the foam subsided, fry each the sausages until they are golden browned on all sides and cooked through; 5 minutes.  As the "sausages" finish, remove them to a paper towel lined plate to drain. 

7.  Working with one "sausage" at a time, remove the drained "sausage" to a clean cutting board and cut the "sausage" into 1-inch thick pinwheels and arrange the pinwheels on a serving platter.  Serve immediately accompanied by Marsala Sauce, Madeira Sauce, or Peach Chutney and an appropriate vegetable.

Jaeger Schnitzel

Jaeger Schnitzel 

serves 4

(Germany)

This is a nod to Jo's German heritage, Jaeger Schnitzel is traditionally made from pork, accompanied by a creamy mushroom Jaeger sauce. A none traditional version can also be made using skinless, boneless chicken breasts.

Ingredients

4 boneless pork fillets (about 1/2 pounds each)

salt and pepper

1/2 cup of cooked ham slices, cut into about 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

4 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1/2 bunch Italian flat-leaved parsley, chopped

1/2 cup sherry wine

6 ounces of beef broth

4 ounces of cream

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

Coarsely ground Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1.  Preheat the oven to 200°F.

2.  One at a time, place the fillets in a 1 gallon re-sealabel plastic bag and pound the fillet to 1/4-inch thick.  Season both sides of each fillet with salt and pepper.

3.  In a sauté pan over medium heat, heat the oil until fairly hot and fry the Schnitzel on both sides until brown and cooked through, do not crowd the fillet or they will not brown. Remove the fried schnitzel to an oven proof dish lined with paper towels and place the dish in the pre-heated oven to keep them warm.

4.  In the same pan, fry the finely chopped onion and mushrooms for a few of minutes until the onions are softened and translucent and mushrooms begin to brown slightly.  Remove the onions and mushrooms to a plate and pour out any remaining oil.

5.  Return the sauté pan to the heat and deglaze the pan with the sherry.  Reduce the heat to medium low and add the beef  broth, cut-up ham, and cream. Stir to combine and heat the sauce through but do not allow the sauce to boil, boiling will cause the sauce to "break".

6.  Remove the sauce from the heat and add the chopped parsley, correct seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste.

7.  Remove the warm schnitzel from the oven to a serving platter and serve with the sauce in a separate bowl.




Next week's post: Spaghetti e Salsa di Granchio (Spaghetti with Crab Sauce)