Breaded Pork Chop Pinwheels Stuffed w/ Fresh Mozzarella, Cured Italian Ham & Marinara

(Copyright © 2010 Someday Gourmet)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 22-25 minutes
Difficulty: Level II
Yield: 5-6 Pieces

Ingredients

• 5-6 Thinly cut Pork Chops
• 8 Oz Fresh Mozzarella
• 6 Slices of Cured Italian Ham or any Italian meat
• 1 Small Jar Marinara (We enjoy Prego Traditional)
• 1 Small Pkg of Cherry Tomatoes
• 1 Cup Plain Progresso Breadcrumbs
• 1 Large Egg
• 3 Tbsp Finely Chopped Oregano
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
• 2 Tbsp EVOO

Directions


Preheat oven to 375 F.  Grease a 13x9 casserole dish and set aside.  Mix breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp oregano, and 1 tbsp garlic powder in one deep cereal bowl and whisk an egg thoroughly in another.  Remove 6-8 slices of the ham from the package and set aside.  In a small bowl mix the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and rest of oregano and garlic powder until coated and set aside. Prepare a large sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap to cover meat while flatting.

On a large cutting board, trim and clean each piece of pork removing any fat from the edges.  Pat dry with a paper towel and lay each piece out on the cutting board with enough space between them to expand vertically.  Cover the entire board with the wax paper or plastic wrap and use a meat mallet grooved side to tenderize first, then flat side to flatten each pork chop (shoot for more rectangle piece than round).  Once the meat is 1.5-2X larger in length, discard the plastic wrap.

Add a slice or so of the ham to cover the pork.  Loosely cover the ham with small chunks of mozzarella and spread a light layer of red sauce over the filling with a spoon.  Begin at one end of the pork chop and roll the pinwheel so that the filling is trapped inside.  Dredge the pork in the egg then the breadcrumbs coating thoroughly and place seam-side down in the baking dish.  Repeat for each pork chop.
Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes then add the cherry tomatoes and continue baking for 12-15 additional minutes depending on your oven.  Serve immediately and enjoy!


Chef’s Notes

• This recipe works great with chicken breasts too.  Just start with thinly sliced or butterfly the breast yourself.
• Serve with pasta and red sauce for a true Italian feast or consider a fresh salad for a lighter option.
• I encourage you to experiment with the breading mixture but I would suggest avoiding salty seasonings if using a salty deli meat.
• Recommended Wine Pairing - Barefoot's Pinot Grigio or Pinot Noir

Garden Herb Pork Loin Slices over Baby Spinach & Arugula w/ Cinnamon Roasted Pears, Candied Walnuts, and a Roasted Pear & White Wine Vinaigrette

Let's be honest, you will not have leftovers from this one...

(Copyright © 2009 Someday Gourmet)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Difficulty: Level I
Yield: 3-4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb Smithfield Garden Herb Pork Tenderloin
• 4 Ripe Pears (includes 2 for the dressing)
• 3-4 Cups of Baby Spinach & Arugula
• 1 Cup Walnuts
• 2 Cups of Someday Gourmet's Roasted Pear & White Wine Vinaigrette
• 1 tsp freshly ground Course Sea Salt
• 4 tsp Cinnamon
• 4 tbsp Butter or Margarine
• 1 tbsp Brown Sugar

Instructions

At least 1.5 hours before you plan to eat, begin to make the Someday Gourmet's Roasted Pear & White Wine Vinaigrette.  To save time, clean and cut all of the pears at the same time however do not cook 2 when making the sauce.

40 minutes before you plan to eat, preheat the oven to 375F.  Cover half of a baking rack with foil and spray the entire rack with Pam and place it inside of a foil lined baking sheet.  Add butter to a small mixing bowl and microwave for 10 seconds or until melted then mix in the cinnamon.  Place the pears on the foil covered half of the rack and drizzle half of the butter mixture over them to thoroughly coat.  Stir the brown sugar into to the remaining butter mixture and set aside. Next remove the pork from the packaging, trim the fat, and place on the exposed half of the rack and place into the middle of the oven.  Add the walnuts to a small frying pan and cook over medium-high heat stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes.  Remove and add to the butter mixture and coat thoroughly.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the pork is cooked to your desired doneness.

Remove the pork from oven and let it rest on a cutting board tightly covered with foil for 5 minutes.  Turn the oven off and let the pears warm in the oven.  Meanwhile, prepare the spinach and arugula mix on the serving dish/platter and sprinkle with sea salt.  Cut the pork into slices along a 45 degree diagonal and place on the salad mix. Gently add the pear slices and top with the walnuts.

Serve immediately with the vinaigrette on the side with a toasty piece of bread.

Chef's Notes

• To make life easier, I strongly suggest making the sauce in advance to refrigerate overnight.  It also allows the flavors to mellow and mix together better.
• Feel free to use any kind of pork loin, the garden herbs are quite delicious with the pear flavor.
• Break these candied walnuts out for any occasion.  They are quick and easy yet jazz up any salad and will really impress your friends!

Pork Scallopini with Mushrooms in a Sherry and Marsala Wine Reduction

Copyright © 2010 SomedayGourmet.com

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Level II
Yield: 4-6 Pieces of Pork

Ingredients

• 4-6 Thin cut pork chops (thinner the better)
• 1 1/2 Cup Sherry Cooking Wine
• 1/2 Cup Marsala Cooking Wine
• 2-3 Cups Canola or Vegetable Oil for Frying
• 1 Cup flour
  
• 1 Large Egg
• 1/4 Cup Milk (any variety is fine)
  
• 1/2 Cup Finely Diced Onion
  
• 2 Cups Sliced White Mushrooms
• 1/2 Tbsp minced Garlic
• 4 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Tbsp Seasoned Salt
• 1 Tbsp Grated Parmesan
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 Sets of tongs (recommended)
  

Instructions
Prepare vegetables if necessary.  Preheat the oven to its lowest setting for warming.

The Pork
Cut the pork into 3-4" squares or strips.  Place between layers of plastic wrap and pound each piece of pork until 1/4" thick.  If you think you're done pounding...make it just a little thinner!

Add 2-3 Cup of oil to a small-medium pan for frying and heat oil on medium-high (6 on my dial).  Let oil heat for at least 7-10 minutes before beginning to fry.

Next create 2 dipping stations: flour in one and an egg wash in the other (1 egg, 1/8 cup milk - whisk thoroughly). Using one set of tongs, dip the pork in egg wash, let the excess drip off and then lightly coat with flour.  Using the same tongs drop the pork into the heated oil.  Repeat process to queue up the next piece of pork in the flour dish.

Cook the pork for 3 minutes and using the 2nd set of tongs flip in the oil and cook for 1-2 additional minutes until golden brown.  Using the second set of tongs transfer the cooked pork onto an ovenproof plate or dish and cover with foil.

Repeat until each piece is cooked.  Place pork in the oven to keep warm once all pieces are done if more time is needed to make sauce.

Note: If using a larger dish (with more oil), it's ok to cook several pieces at once.  I prefer to use a smaller pan with less oil and fry each piece individually.

The Mushroom Sauce
Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in a medium pan over MEDIUM-HIGH heat and add the mushroom.  Saute for 5 minutes stirring frequently.  Add seasoned salt and continue to saute until browned and soft.  Remove mushrooms from pan and add garlic and onions (do not clean pan).  Continue to saute on medium-high until onions begin to turn translucent.

Add both cooking wines and turn heat up to HIGH.  Simmer the liquid on high stirring frequently until sauce reduces to 1/3 of the original (about 5 minutes).  Lower heat to MEDIUM and stir in mushrooms, 2 tbsp butter, red pepper flakes and remaining 1/8 cup of milk.  Heat for another 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly and mushrooms are piping hot.

Pour over pork and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

Chef's Notes

• Be sure to use an oil with a high heat smoke point for the deep frying.  This will help prevent your home from smelling like burnt pork for the next few days.
• It is normal for the frying oil to begin to get cloudy after a few pieces of pork are cooked.  You might even smell a bit of burning.  That's ok!  The flavor from each piece of meat will compound making the last one the best one.
• Just make sure you have enough oil in there initially to cover the meat thoroughly and try not to add any additional once you've begun. Using the same oil for the entire job helps ensure an even temperature and will help produce consistent results.